Kulula Garage Sale - Cheap Flights today only

Fly JHB to PE from R239 and JHB to Durbs for the same price. Eish!

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Treasure trove found in 500-year-old shipwreck off Africa

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - The ship was laden with tons of copper ingots, elephant tusks, gold coins — and cannons to fend off pirates. But it had nothing to protect it from the fierce weather off a particularly bleak stretch of inhospitable African coast, and it sank 500 years ago.

Now it has been found, stumbled upon by De Beers geologists prospecting for diamonds off Namibia.

"If you're mining on the coast, sooner or later you'll find a wreck," archaeologist Dieter Noli said in an interview Thursday.

By DONNA BRYSON, Associated Press Writer
More.

South Africa's Miniskirt Madness

South Africa's black women are organising a Minskirt parade to celebrate their sexiness. I imagine women walking around in low cut dresses. Would they like to encourage men to watch them? I raise the following question since it is happening right here in our back yard: is it wise - in a country like ours where - for black women to demand the right to have a miniskirt parade?

I probably need to shout this at the top of my voice: THE PROBLEM IS ONE OF CONTEXT. In many other countries it is quite absurd to have anyone prescribe what you wear. In South Africa, it may be in our interest, black and white, men and women, to appear more modest than we'd otherwise want to be, in order to avoid the attentions of rapists and murderers.

I get the whole schpiel that no one should tell anyone else how to dress. I'm not debating that we ought to be living in a free society in South Africa, and that people ought not to dictate, for example, dress codes. So that's not the issue. I am debating the context of a nation's women demanding that they be allowed to be sexualised to the extent that they mean to be. Hello, there are 150 rapes a day in South Africa. 50 murders a day.

Something bothers me about the sense and sensibility of our countries black women who want to make sure their sexiness is seen and celebrated within this context. Is it wise or even safe? See, in South Africa we live in a society with the highest rape stats in the world, including violent rape, and also the highest prevalence of HIV. I've just returned from South Korea where HIV infection is under .1%. The women dress very conservatively - although on weekends, somewhat less so.

I just imagine a particular woman going to a miniskirt parade and being raped on the way back. My question then would be, isn't modesty a salient act of defence in this country, something like wearing less jewellery when one goes shopping?

More:
World's "Rape Capital" delays new sex abuse legislation
Culture misused in miniskirt wars
150 rapes a day in SA
New child rapes fuel S. Africa crisis