Thursday: 14 August 2003

This site will be updated on: 21 August  2003 at 17:00

 Letters - Briewe

• Spirit of Interschools was breached
• Serial killer loose
• Kyk hoe lyk hy nou
• Dankie aan almal wat steeds in my geglo het
• Skeidsregter partydig
• Huldeblyk aan Tony
• Editorial: Higher and higher

FOR obvious reasons, neutral referees have in the past been employed to officiate at the two main interschool's rugby matches, namely the u.13A (primary school) and the u.19A matches.

This year Gymnasium Primary, the host school, saw fit to depart from the tradition of neutral and impartial referees for the u.13A game. The referee and one linesman were both parents of children at Gymnasium.

I understand Boys' Primary were aware of this and condoned it. I believe both schools were at fault in this regard. I cannot understand how two educators could allow this situation to occur, given past incidents.

What about 2004? It is now going to become tit for tat, with next year a Boys' Primary parent at the helm trying his best to be fair, but due to pressure possibly ends up favouring one of the two teams and directly determines the outcome of the match?

The integrity or first class qualifications of the referee is not questioned, only his impartiality.

It is common knowledge that this specific Gymnasium team were comprehensively beaten by their counterparts five years in a row, from under 7 to under 11.

The Gymnasium team was given little hope of winning the encounter and I congratulate them on their guts, determination and victory.

But adults have succeeded in casting doubt as to the fairness of the result.

One team of little boys, 12 and 13 years old, probably believe an adult cheated them. The kids from the other team may in the future wonder whether they deserved to win.

My concern however is not so much about the result, as it is about the principle of good education, integrity and maintaining the good spirit of interschools existing between the two schools.

The kids on the field of play should compete on a level playing field, without undue influence from adults.

It was sad to see a referee being escorted from the field by a security officer, this at under 13 level. The referee of the under 19 interschools match, watched by many thousands, walked off the field unaided.

As a matter of interest, in 2002 there were four controversial decisions during the interschools cricket match, which resulted in a letter of complaint from Gymnasium Primary.

They insisted on neutral umpires for all future under 13A Interschool's cricket matches, a move welcomed by all, children and parents included.

Neutral umpires were subsequently used for the 2003 under 13A Interschool's cricket match earlier this year. Neutral referees were also used for the u.13A 2003 interschool's hockey match the day before the match in question.

Perhaps the referee of the u.13A rugby match should have had the wisdom to turn down this game, or maybe it should be replayed?

Disillusioned

WHO is this person that preys on defenceless animals to satisfy a lust to kill and in turn kills part of the soul of the animal's owners.

Hiding plates of food under bushes, setting cat traps and throwing poisoned food over the walls of an animal's special haven is the most cruel, calculating thing a human being could ever do.

Two cats are dead and three missing, while a cat and two dogs have survived their painful ordeal.

Beware, residents of Orange and Mill Street, this serial killer is on the prowl in your area.

But beware, killer, you are being sought, will be found and brought to justice!

Animal lover

EK merk met groot blydskap dat die "gevoellose" eienaar wie die twee bome voor sy gebou in Hoofstraat verwyder het, nou 'n absolute pragstuk skep.

Hierdie gebou se stoep was vir jare 'n slaapplek en toilet vir beskonke leeglêers wat gedurig besoekers aan die aangrensende besighede gepes het.

Ek sien dat van ons pragtige ou geboue so met traliewerk teen diewe en vandale gepantser is dat die geboue meer na duiwehokke as historiese ou geboue lyk. Ek woon eerder in 'n boomlose dorp as in 'n plek vol afgeskeepte, verwaarloosde geboue wat binnekort so vervalle sal wees dat die enigste oplossing sal wees om dit te sloop.

Tevrede

EK vind dit vreemd dat 'n DA-raadslid hom nou wend tot ons howe wat alreeds so 'n vol program het, om te bewys dat daar waarheid in hom steek. Die hof het teen hom beslis.

Ek het my nie gesteur aan die kinderagtige, onbenullige aantygings nie en het toegelaat dat die reg sy gang gaan.

Ek het my nie daaraan gesteur of my weggesteek nie. Die taak was groter as die probleem.

Ek het nie toegelaat dat kleinlikhede my fokus belemmer nie.

Ek wil graag almal wat my ondersteun het, bedank. Dankie vir julle vertroue.

Die NNP/ANC koalisie wys dat die leeu en die lam kan saamwei. Ons moet 'n kans gegee word om saam die dorp tot 'n modelstad te ontwikkel.

My taak is om vanaf 'n NNP oogpunt toe te sien dat besluite en resolusies wat deur die Raad gevoer moet word, deeglik deur die koalisie bespreek word tot voordeel van alle Drakensteiners.

Titus Williams (NNP raadslid)

EK het as 'n oud-Gimmie die onlangse interskolewedstryd tussen die o.13A spanne van Klein Gim en Klein Boishaai bygewoon.

Groot was my teleurstelling om die optrede van die skeidsregter waar te neem. Nog nooit het ek beleef dat 'n wedstryd só eensydig geblaas word nie. Dit was duidelik sy wortels is by Gimnasium begrawe.

As 'n oud-Gimmie het ek na die tyd die pawiljoen hartseer en skaam verlaat. Ek was skaam om in my Gimmie reënbaadjie gesien te word, as gevolg van die oneerlikheid wat daar geheers het en ek was hartseer vir die span van Klein Boishaai wat nooit 'n regverdige kans gehad het nie, alhoewel hulle uitstekend gespeel het.

Skaam oud-Gimmie

TONY GOOSEN, die man wat verlede week in Noorder-Paarl na sy dood geval het van 'n woonstelgebou, was een van die beste tromspelers wat die Paarl nog ooit gehad het.

Dié man, met die pet en die poniestert, het absolute geloof gehad dat hy enige mens kon laat trom speel, en kon hy nie! Hy was 'n groot vriend van sy leerlinge, soos een van hulle ook by sy begrafnis gesê het: "Oom was altyd vriendelik, liefdevol en geduldig."

Tony het die afgelope drie jaar by my klas gegee en stukkende instrumente herstel. Sy laaste woorde aan my was, 'Ester, ek is so gelukkig, want ek weet ek is op die regte pad'.Hy sal lank in die harte van sy musiekleerlinge voortleef.

Ester Horne

IF you're good, you're good! That must be how the Paarl Police are feeling after the string of guilty verdicts handed down in the Cape High Court during the past weeks.

At a time when people are getting depressed about escalating crime and continuous reports on the police's logistic problems and personnel shortages, this is indeed heartening.

Before sentencing a murderer to more than 50 years behind bars last week, the judge praised the Paarl detective team for their dedication and efficient work.

The sentences are indeed good news to overworked policemen, who have had to contend with seeing suspects they had arrested back on the streets within days (or even hours in the case of juveniles).

A new trend though, is that our detectives are spending more and more time bringing their cases to the High Court, the court where the most serious crimes are heard.

In the Magistrate's Court the stands for the accused remain occupied, but the cases are referred from the lower court to the regional court and finally end up in the highest court.

Why? Because premeditated murder, rape, armed robbery - in fact all violent crime - is escalating. And because the accused are very often ex-convicts. Now they have long criminal records that warrant the more stringent sentences that can only be handed down in the High Court.