15 September 2014 Issue 20 Year 76

Page 1

ALS ice bucket challenge

Lentedag

Michael Faasen interview

P7

P8

P11

Perdeby

Advertise in Perdeby Contact: carel.willemse@ up.ac.za

Tuks se amptelike studentekoerant / Official Tuks student newspaper / Kuranta ya baithuti ya semmušo ya Tuks

15 September2014

year76issue 20 Win BIG with your Tukkie Credit Card! Wen GROOT met jou Tukkiekredietkaart!

Closing Date: 31 October 2014 Sluitingsdatum: 31 Oktober 2014 www.up.ac.za/alumni

Pistorius guilty of culpable homicide 6304 UP TuksAlumni Tukkie Card Ad for Perdeby .indd 3

2014/08/28 1:48 PM

MAXINE TWADDLE Judge Thokozile Masipa has found Oscar Pistorius guilty of culpable homicide. During her judgement, Masipa said, “the accused acted negligently when he fired into the toilet door, knowing there was someone behind the door”. Masipa acknowledged that Pistorius perceived someone who posed a threat to his safety to be behind the door, but said, “It could not be said that he foresaw that either the deceased or anyone else for that matter might be killed when he fired the shots at that door.” She based this on Pistorius’s behaviour after the shooting. Pistorius was acquitted of charges of illegal possession of ammunition and of one charge of illegal discharge of a firearm in a public place. He was found guilty on one charge of illegally firing a gun in public, for the time when he discharged a firearm in Tasha’s in Melrose Arch. Masipa’s judgement has drawn criticism from legal experts and women’s activists, who feel that the judge was too lenient. By fetching a gun and shooting into a closed door, they argue, Pistorius demonstrated a pre-meditated intent to kill whoever was behind the door. ANC Women’s League Gauteng spokesperson

Image: dailymaverick.co.za

Jacqui Mofokeng has said that the judgement is “a little bit worrying”. “As a mother, as everybody else, what does it say about our justice system?” said Mofokeng. However, according to Daily Maverick’s Rebecca Davis, Willem Heath, former judge and

Special Investigative Unit head, praised Masipa’s judgement and said that the prosecution did not do enough to prove that Pistorius committed premeditated murder. Heath responded to suggestions that Masipa finding Pistorius not guilty for premeditated

murder might harm South Africa’s justice system by saying that the judgement actually shows that South Africa practises justice. On Friday afternoon, Masipa ruled to extend Pistorius’s bail. He will be sentenced on 13 October.

Political societies discuss racism and transformation at UP DYLAN FLOWERDAY

At a meeting hosted by the Anti-Racism Forum (ARF) at Tuks on Tuesday 9 September Sasco, ANCYL, EFF Tuks, Up and Out, Young Communist League (YCL) and the Muslim Student Association (MSA) Tuks discussed issues of racism and transformation at the university. Although the political societies dismissed any talk of a possible coalition in the future, they reiterated that they are all committed to working

together to achieve the same goal, which is fighting racism and ensuring transformation at UP. Alfred Moraka from the ARF called on the political societies “to come together and discuss common issues” affecting students at UP. EFF Tuks secretary Jaco Oelofse said that although the societies may differ in their political views they can still work together to fight for a common cause. He added that the issue of the lack of African knowledge at UP needs to be addressed. Some of the attendees agreed and affirmed that there needs to be transformation of

the syllabus to include more African literature EFF Tuks revealed that they did make an attempt to form a plan with Sasco prior to the SRC elections to form a collective voting power, but this was denied by the upper structures of both parties. Junior Ackotia from Sasco emphasised that there should be unity among students. “There is no revolution that can be fought on an individual basis,” he said. It was decided at the forum meeting that there is a chance for the political societies that were present to work together without compromising

boundaries of national political dynamics. Students and societies present also questioned the Blackface incident and what the university has done so far. Toward the end of the forum meeting a communication structure was established which comprises of representatives from the present societies and several independent individuals. This was seen as a plan of action and a way in which the members will give each other information regarding their plans to fight racism at UP.


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.