SONDAGOGGEND 19 Mei kom my vriend by my aangestap om 10:30. Daar is by sy motor ingebreek gedurende die Saterdagnag.

Die rede hoekom hy na my toe gekom het, is sodat ek hom polisiestasie toe kon neem om die saak te rapporteer, alhoewel hy al reeds gebel het na die polisiestasie vroeër die oggend en daar gesê is dat hulle iemand sal stuur. Hy bly omtrent 'n kilometer van my af.

Ons is na die Paarl polisiestasie in die dorp (by die sirkel). Daar word aan ons gesê dit is nie hul area nie, ons moet na Paarl-Oos gaan, hoewel hulle glad nie besig is nie.

By Paarl-Oos gekom, word daar aan my vriend gesê/vra: "O, is dit jou motor waar daar ingebreek is? Ons het gehoor daarvan."

Die klagte word toe op skrif vasgelê. Intussen kom 'n ander persoon wat eenkant gesit en wag het, nader om 'n klag van aanranding te lê. Seker maar gewag om gehelp te word.

Hy vertel van die begin hoe hy voor sy vriendin se huis aangerand en beroof was. Nadat die beampte in privaat of gewone drag klaar geluister het, begin die beampte hom uitskel dat hy loop "agter vroumense aan" en nou kom kla hy by die polisie.

Die ander beampte in polisiedrag vra nog of hulle nie maar die klag van aanranding kan aanvaar nie, maar die beampte in gewone drag wil niks weet nie.

Die klaer soebat so al wat werd is en verduidelik, maar alles tevergeefs. Daar word duidelik aan hom gestel om te loop.

My vriend is intussen klaar met verklaring aflê, en met die boodskap dat daar 'n speurder na hom gestuur sal word, is ons daar weg.

Wat ek graag sal wil weet, is wat sal gebeur as iemand 'n voertuig van die openbare orde eenheid stop of enige polisievoertuig om 'n klag te lê. Sal daar ook aan hom gesê word dit is nie hul area nie?

Moet 'n mens bloed aan jou hê om 'n aanrandingklag te lê? Ek weet ons polisie probeer ook maar hul kant bring, maar voel tog teleurgesteld in ons lede.

Vra maar net

Polisie Areakommissaris Ganief Daniels reageer: Dis 'n jammerte dat hierdie persoon sulke swak diens beleef het. Ons is tans besig met 'n evaluasie van ons diens en waardeer hierdie terugvoering. Enige polisielid wat verslag ontvang, is verplig om dit te hanteer - geen verskonings is aanvaarbaar nie. Ons sal ook terugvoering van goeie diens waardeer.

In response to the recent debate in the Paarl Post regarding the squirrel, I wish to mention a few facts.

Although the squirrel is a rodent, it actually cannot be placed in same category as the Norwegian rat.

Norwegian rats carry pests and disease, produce up to twelve babies every three months and gnaw at anything in their path.

Squirrels on the other hand, have only two babies every six months and bury their food, which is seed, under the ground.

In this way new trees are planted in parks and gardens.

Squirrels are also preyed upon by the Black Sparrow Hawk, and are therefore an important link in the food chain.

The question is: how can we condemn the squirrel when it plays such an important role in nature?

Phillip Minnaar

A RELAXED Saturday night on the town could turn into a nightmare if you have a glass of wine or two and that is the last thing you remember.

Leaving a drink unattended at a nightclub these days can have terrible consequences. An increasing number of women are falling victim to sexual abuse after being slipped so-called date rape drugs. Later unable to recall their experiences, they have little to resource to justice.

A two milligram dose in a beer can put a woman flat on her back in a state of semi-consciousness, to waken with no memories of the previous night and wondering what happened.

The sketchy facts in these cases make it almost impossible for the police to find hard evidence. And, in most instances, the women choose to drop their cases.

There are three main types of date rape drugs. According to international reports the most commonly used drug is Rohypnol. It is a schedule drug designed to induce sleep. On the streets however, it is known as the Forget pill, Ruffles or the Date Rape drug.

Then you get a drug called Gamma Hydroxy Biturate (GHB), the drug gives a feeling of relaxation, tranquility and sensuality. Its streetnames are Liquid Ecstacy, Liquid X and Easy Lay.

The third drug is called Ketamine, a new and powerful drug used as an animal tranquilizer. They call it "K", Special K and Vitamin K on the streets.

All of these drugs have a lasting effect of 8 to 30 hours and are available in the form of pills, liquid and powder.

Here are a few tips on how to protect yourself: don't drink anything out of a punchbowl, monitor the behaviour of your friends and never accept a drink from someone you don't know and trust.

Date rape is a worrying problem, because it's not just the experience of being raped, but also the experience of being drugged.

Ida Jordaan

IN today's life, nobody is safe in the streets and shops. Children have no respect for their elders, no matter who they are. They are raping, stealing and even going so far as killing people. Nobody can handle them.

From our point of view as Paarlites, we think that corporal punishment should be brought back and we think there are a lot of people who will agree with us.

In the old days, children use to listen and respect their elders much more. The corporal punishment made them respectful but nowadays children want to do what as they like and grow up to be undisciplined adults.

We want corporal punishment back!

Cindy Francis, Farah-Naz Jacobs and Le Clue De Lange

ON 26 April I had coffee at a restaurant in Lady Grey Street, and locked my bicycle, a very expensive and attractive freestyle BMX, to a lamppole outside.

I sat next to the window, watching the people going by, when I noticed someone at my bicycle.

Two young men of about 20 years old, were trying to open my lock with a wire.

It is impossible to pick a cable lock with the thick wire he was using so, I took my time in paying for my coffee and walked out of the shop.

I went up to them and asked what they were doing. The one with the wire stood up while the other pulled a butterfly knife out of his torn jacket, spinning it through his fingers.

I reminded them of all the people watching, which made them run away.

The point of my story: while this was happening, a small crowd gathered, amongst them grown men, all watching!

In a previous Paarl Post I read of a man being attacked and almost killed while people stood by watching.

If we carry on not caring, we deserve what we get.

Concerned student

GRAAG wil ek aan alle getroude pare sê: waardeer mekaar.

Soms misluk 'n huwelik en daar word gesê dis die skuld van 'n derde party.

Maar gewoonlik was die huwelik reeds 'n mislukking, omdat julle mekaar nie waardeer het nie.

Gee vir mekaar drukkies wanneer dit nodig is of selfs wanneer dit nie nodig is nie. Leer jou kinders om na hom of haar op te sien.

Julle, die vroue, moet julle manne laat voel hulle is die dak en julle die vloer, dan sal julle huwelike nie misluk nie.

Dan sal dit nie vir hom nodig wees om elders na liefde te soek nie. Werk aan julle huwelike en bly biddend op julle knieë.

Hartseer derde party

I FIND that squatter camps are a major problem in our town.

Firstly it looks very untidy. There is rubbish lying all over the place. It is totally unhygienic.

Sometimes people from other places (like tourists) come to visit Paarl and it creates a bad impression. Tourists must be excited when they come to Paarl. Where those camps are, there could be neatly built houses or trees and a picnic place.

So what I'm asking of the government is to please see to these peoples' needs. Have a heart and give them the life they deserve.

N Harris

SATERDAGAAND 27 April was ek in 'n motorongeluk betrokke op die Franschhoekpad. Eerstens wil ek baie dankie sê vir die Polisie van Franschhoek, hulle diens was puik. 

Ek is na Paarl Hospitaal vir behandeling en baie dankie aan die personeel daar.

Vanaf die toelatingsbeamptes tot die dokter was almal net vriendelik en behulpsaam.

Ek haal my hoed vir julle af wat met al daardie besope en veeleisende pasiënte moet werk en te alle tye julle humeure so in toom hou. Dis wonderlik. Nogmaals baie dankie.

S Nel

MANY eagerly anticipated 2002 - for too many, however, it is more of the same: hunger, fear and terror.

Babies are being raped, every fifteen seconds somewhere in South Africa a woman is violently abused, blood and gore on our very doorsteps, hollow-eyed kids wander as spectres among us.

We're beyond this: numbed to the core with sensory-overload.

Wake up, World! We are collectively losing it. What sets Homo Sapiens apart is sentience. But we've become anaesthetised by the daily offerings of "reality".

But we cannot continue with this self-induced anaesthesia. We must feel with the hungry, the terrified, the cold, the raped, the abused, the unemployed, the homeless.

We must feel so that we are motivated into action.

Who is doing something concrete to alleviate the reality that residents of squatter-camps face daily? Who is doing something about the despair, the hunger, the abuse?

It is clear that the world governments are more interested in perpetrating horrors, economic sanctions and wars. Our own government is doing the hokey-pokey with different political parties to enhance itself.

Where are the people in all this shuffling and tango? The people are the ones suffering the abuse, going hungry and cold.

Don't become Homo Roboticus. Open your heart and feel the pain, misery and despair.

Cry with those whose huts are razed, those who are hungry. And then do something.

Open your eyes, your heart and your hands to those less privileged ones.

Help them help themselves.

Biebie Barbara Brits, Paarl

DIT kos nie veel logika om te besef dat 'n mens nie geld kan uitgee wat jy nie het nie.

Selfs met al die moderne kredietfasiliteite kan 'n mens net 'n tyd lank oorspandeer voordat die skuldgogga jou nagmerries gee.

In Drakenstein is daar egter 'n groep belastingbetalers wat blykbaar glo die stadsraad is soos 'n gawe peetpa met 'n onuitputlike geldsak. 'n Mens hoef niks doen nie, net te vra en te kla as jy nie kry nie.

Die gevolg van hierdie gekkeparadys, is dat Drakenstein nou met 'n skuldlas van R74 miljoen sit - 'n bedrag só enorm dat dit meer as 'n sesde van die totale begroting beloop.

En dit ís oorweldigend - sou 'n mens elke maand R500 betaal, sal jy 123 eeue lank betaal om by dié astronomiese bedrag te kom.

Kom ons kyk wat dit aan ons behuising kan doen: As almal hul rekeninge betaal het, sou 'n mens 4228 HOP-huise kon gebou het. Amper die ganske behuisingswaglys sou met een veeg uitgewis kon word.

Ongelukkig is hierdie bedrag nou aan die verkeerde kant van die skaal en 'n mens kan in die begroting sien dat die skoen maar knyp. Net R61,8 miljoen (slegs twaalf miljoen rand minder as die skuld), is vanjaar beskikbaar gestel vir die kapitaalbegroting.

Dit beteken dat mense se wenslysie grootliks sal moet oorstaan vir beter dae.

Die moontlikheid om kapitaalprojekte op te skort in gebiede wat nie betaal nie, is ook genoem.

Niskien is dit nou tyd om meer soos 'n streng pa as 'n vrygewige peetpa op te tree. Na alles is dit die pa wat die pot aan die kook moet hou.