When hospitals add to the ordeal of rape

REDI Tlhabi’s “Not all men are rapists, sure, but almost all rapists are men” (December 20) refers. I would like her to shine some light on private service providers who also seem loath to demonstrate concern, and assist rape victims.

I was raped by two men, in my house, early in October. They also stabbed me and inflicted seconddegree burns with an iron on my breast and torso. My face was a mass of bruises. My eardrum burst from their blows. They threatened to kill me, and I believed that they would. This attack lasted from about 4pm to 7.30pm. When they left and I managed to escape, I thought my problems were over. Fat chance!

I arrived at [Lenmed Health’s La Verna Private Hospital] in Ladysmith by ambulance. In casualty the two sisters informed me that a rape kit had to be taken within hours of the rape. I insisted that I wanted one. They said it could only be administered at the provincial hospital and the rape crisis centre only worked office hours. I asked if they could assist in treating my other wounds. We waited for a doctor, who refused, without examining me. He said he would be tampering with evidence. They didn’t even offer a painkiller.

The provincial hospital opened the rape crisis centre and a kind sister was allocated to me. The district surgeon on call didn’t respond to her calls. Hours later, she got authority to give me a painkiller, and later still, an intern treated my wounds. The district surgeon arrived at 6.30am.

I have since contacted La Verna and Lenmed. They say this is their protocol. If a rape victim’s life is in immediate danger they would assist, but otherwise they do not.

I understand that most of the staff at the provincial hospital probably did as much as they could do given the lack of resources at their disposal. But the staff at the private hospital traumatised me even more.

Putting up with all this to get rapists (hopefully) convicted makes South Africa safer for all of us, but the price is high. — Anonymous, Harrismith

Zuma needs to join the dots

“BEHIND Zuma’s U-turn: ‘SA will go bust’ ” (December 20) refers. As an ordinary citizen I feel strongly that Zuma must explain how it came to be that a critical institution like the National Treasury gets destabilised at such a negative time in our economy.

Along with the monies paid for Nkandla, Zuma must pay back the billions the country lost in the wake of the axing of Nhlanhla Nene.

The issue here is not Nene or David van Rooyen or Pravin Gordhan, but a president who seems not to understand how connected we are to the rest of the world economically. — Moetlo, by e-mail

Tokyo not owed Fifa job

“TOKYO: Africa’s time has come at Fifa” (December 20) refers.

Tokyo Sexwale is basically demanding to be Fifa president. True to form, he is going to play the race card. Just because you are African does not mean you have the right to be the Fifa president.

What credentials has Tokyo got in football management? Has he even managed a local football team? Someone should let him know Fifa is not the SABC; you actually have to be qualified for the job.

We need someone who is the most qualified for the job, whichever continent they may come from. — Keith Chipiwa, Randburg

The right team for rugby

“SA rugby ‘must discover its own route’ into the future” (December 20) refers. Rugby is now a professional and evolving game, which requires coaches to be intelligent, tactically astute, innovative and assisted by competent specialists. Arrogance, antiquated and rigid ideas, let alone hysterical behaviour, are simply not good enough.

One hopes, therefore, that the South African Rugby Union will not rush to appoint simply the best local coach — as the Stormers have done — to steer the Boks, when an international-calibre coach and assistants are clearly needed if the Boks are to evolve tactically, skilfully and racially.

Given these criteria, I propose that Saru sounds out a John Mitchell-Gert Smal combination. Both have international playing and coaching experience, both were prepared to work together at the Stormers, both can be paid in rands, and having an uitlander and a ware South African

Leave her looks out of it

WELL done on showcasing the inspirational young talent that South Africa has leading the way across sports, arts and politics in “The young guns who took 2015 by storm” (December 20). I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the work of these young leaders.

How disappointing for Nompendulo Mkatshwa, however, that journalist Pearl Boshomane described her as “synonymous with a new wave of feminism” but then chose to call her “photogenic” and describe her “lithe frame and signature head-wrap”. I would hope that Ulo’s achievements would be judged purely on their merits and that her looks would not be commented on in an article telling us about her leadership and vision.

I note that the men in the article fits the bill. — Rob Haswell, Pietermaritzburg

Rally to stop extinction

THANK you for your incredibly important article “The ugly truth behind the plunder of nature” (December 13). We humans are part of the web of life. As that is ripped apart, our own wellbeing, and that of all life, is threatened.

All people should rally to stop extinction, and in particular all who worship a creator God should see it as a priority to stop the extinction of God’s creation. — Bishop Geoff Davies, Kalk Bay

We can take country back

“FRIENDS, advisers and a few rogues” (December 20) refers.

How can a relatively unknown family come from India and tell the president how to run our country?

We the people are now going to take responsibility. If we in our numbers could change the pattern of our country 21 years ago, we can stand together in peace to reclaim this land of ours. To be led by the best person. To put people in place who want this country to work for all its people. No to corruption, nepotism and freebies.

We all have to work for our slice of bread. It is so simple. — Roshan Mahomed, by e-mail ARTICULATE: Wits student leader Nompendulo Mkatshwa were not subject to the same shallow assessments. — Gill Victor, by e-mail

Reading signs every Sunday

IT’S another year gone by and, as a pensioner, I cannot afford the Sunday Times. But it’s my fix, call it a compass to the South African problem and solutions.

Peter Bruce, in “Let’s try a rational executives committee” (December 20), has given the men and women protecting Zuma a path to tread towards a better 2016.

I wish these politicians would read your and other serious newspapers to get a feel for the trouble we are in. It seems they read tabloids, as we are in “soapie” mode.

Having had the privilege of visiting Zimbabwe in its heyday and later witnessing its free fall, I was smug in thinking this will never happen here. Hells bells, it is. Zuma has turned me, an SA optimist, into a pessimist who fears the next trick up his sleeve.

Thanks for the good and the bad this year and telling your readers the way it is. — June Baatjes, Athlone