South Africa's Killing Fields

SASOG Position Statement number 2: Female genital mutilation

	Female genital mutilation SASOG Position Statement number 2
Home Position Statements	Female genital mutilation forms part of traditional practice in certain countries where it is embedded in a patriarchal power structure and a desire to control the lives of women. In societies where it is practiced, many men and women have come to the belief that this practice is beneficial and in the best interests of the females concerned. Apart from many medical complications there are varying degrees of disfigurement occurring. Several complications may occur in childbirth. The critical issue remains, however, that women's rights are violated by non-therapeutic injury to the genital organs, an issue that is larger than sensitivity to different cultural practices. Women with female genital mutilation are seen in South Africa with increasing frequency, most likely not by a new move among local peoples to institute this practice, but as an effect of migration of people through the continent of Africa. World wide statements and declarations have been made against the practice of female genital mutilation. SASOG adds its voice against female genital mutilation, and urges all members, health care workers and the health authorities of South Africa to: oppose all forms of female genital mutilation be sensitive to the culture of patients and parents that may request female genital mutilation actively dissuade families from carrying out female genital mutilation provide patients, parents and society with compassionate education about the physical harms and psychological risks of female genital mutilation decline to participate or perform any non-therapeutic procedure that alters the genitalia of female infants, young girls or female adolescents be cognisant of legislation that has been or may be put in place to protect the rights of children and of women become acquainted with the obstetric and gynaecologic complications of female genital mutilation in order to manage women who were victims of female genital mutilation when they were minors `Prepared by Prof Graham Howarth and Dr Siva Moodley. Edited by Prof Gerhard Lindeque August 2001`

Female genital mutilation

SASOG Position Statement number 2

Female genital mutilation forms part of traditional practice in certain countries where it is embedded in a patriarchal power structure and a desire to control the lives of women. In societies where it is practiced, many men and women have come to the belief that this practice is beneficial and in the best interests of the females concerned. Apart from many medical complications there are varying degrees of disfigurement occurring. Several complications may occur in childbirth. The critical issue remains, however, that women's rights are violated by non-therapeutic injury to the genital organs, an issue that is larger than sensitivity to different cultural practices.

Women with female genital mutilation are seen in South Africa with increasing frequency, most likely not by a new move among local peoples to institute this practice, but as an effect of migration of people through the continent of Africa.

World wide statements and declarations have been made against the practice of female genital mutilation. SASOG adds its voice against female genital mutilation, and urges all members, health care workers and the health authorities of South Africa to:

oppose all forms of female genital mutilation
be sensitive to the culture of patients and parents that may request female genital mutilation
actively dissuade families from carrying out female genital mutilation
provide patients, parents and society with compassionate education about the physical harms and psychological risks of female genital mutilation
decline to participate or perform any non-therapeutic procedure that alters the genitalia of female infants, young girls or female adolescents
be cognisant of legislation that has been or may be put in place to protect the rights of children and of women
become acquainted with the obstetric and gynaecologic complications of female genital mutilation in order to manage women who were victims of female genital mutilation when they were minors

Prepared by Prof Graham Howarth and Dr Siva Moodley. Edited by Prof Gerhard Lindeque August 2001

Position Statements | Home

Dozens of reports of female genital mutilation in South Africa here: click

The defense rests...Eghad, I hope intelligence prevails on this planet!!!

africawatch:

To find all articles tagged or indexed using AfricaWatch, click below:
	click here >>>	AfricaWatch	<<< click here
(To view all FR Bump Lists, click here)

p.s. They don't call me the rain-maker for nothing. Hope you liked the "Thunderstorm of Reality!"

---I wonder what happened to the south african coal to liquid petroleum fuel substitute technology? From what I remember they were the world leaders in it, after the germans came up with it in practical quantities during world war two. I'm amazed with their coal reserves that they didn't persue it more to refine the techniqes involved in it. Well, they might still be, I honestly don't know one way or the other.

I hope the remaining sane people left in south africa and rhodesia get together and stage a counter-coup and take their nations back. They have the potential to be still great nations and to be the nucleus for a sub saharan super power.

---went and answered my own question. their synthetic fuel industry is alive and well, and still provides a significant amount of fuel to the population there (Hint, the US could do the same, and bankrupt the middle east nutjobs). Their main company that does it is sasol, but it has one of the worlds crappiest designed web pages, it's dismal beyond belief, not worth even looking at unless you are on boadband and want to be fruistrated. Here's another page I found that gives a good synopisis of south africas energy scene:

http://www.megweb.uct.ac.za/Iresearch/Intro/oil_industry.htm

Industry Research Project

The Oil and Petrol Industry

Introduction

South Africa is the leading economic power in Africa as well as a key player in the African oil industry. Liquid fuels are an important component of the South African energy sector.

The history of South Africa's oil industry goes back to 1884 when the first oil company was established in Cape Town to import refined products. Since then the industry has grown and matured. Today the country processes approximately 20 million tonnes per annum of crude and consumes 23 million tonnes of liquid fuel products of which 45 % is gasoline and 26% diesel. In 1999 imports of Petroleum Oils cost a total of R12,764,946000.

Oil Extraction

Until the 1990s, the upstream oil industry did not exist. There are currently small producing oilfields off the South East coast of South Africa. A nearby gasfield provides the raw materials for a synfuels plant at Mossel Bay. The development of the Mossgas project was subsidised by the Fuel Equalisation Fund at a cost of R523 154 000 up to 31 March 1997. A gasfield has been discovered off the West coast of South Africa and exploration continues in a number of offshore areas. There are plans to pipe gas from Mozambique and Namibia to South Africa’s industrial heartland. Because so much oil is imported the local price of petrol is crucially affected by international crude oil prices which in term depend on production decisions by the major oil producing nations which run OPEC as a cartel. OPEC quite rightly disclaim responsibility for high petrol prices.

Importance of coal

Because of South Africa's abundant supplies of cheap coal, liquid fuels only provide 21% of the energy requirements of the country. For the same reason South African refineries have extensive upgrading capability in order to maximise the production of gasoline and diesel at the expense of fuel oil which is primarily used for bunkering. Oil from coal synfuels plants owned by Sasol provide a significant proportion of South Africa’s liquid fuels. The major liquid fuel markets are in the Gauteng area of South Africa, so companies with easy access to this region from their manufacturing plants are at a strategic advantage.

Transformation

The South African oil industry is in the throes of transformation from the industry that served the apartheid era of secrecy and boycotts to a model more in line with the democratic and economic needs of the new South Africa. An empowerment consortium called Worldwide Africa Investment Holdings recently bought a 20% share in Engen. This is the first time that a black-controlled company has gained a significant interest in an SA oil major.

The Petrol Price

This is determined by several factors including the world cost of crude oil, taxation by central government and subsidisation of Sasol's operations. The Central Energy Fund administers the Fuel Equalisation fund which starts to run at a loss when crude oil prices increase and the exchange rate of the Rand depreciates. Eventually this triggers a decision to increase the petrol price. Nevertheless there is an argument to suggest that the South African fuel price is still cheap by international standards. Any change in the world market oil price is watched very closely by the Governor of the Reserve Bank because of the implications for monetary policy. The petrol price increased again from midnight on 1 August.

Key Organisations

The major petrol refining and distributing firms operating in South Africa are: BP Southern Africa (Pty) Ltd; Caltex Oil (SA) (Pty) Ltd; Engen Petroleum Ltd; Shell South Africa (Pty) Ltd; Total South Africa (Pty) Ltd and Zenex Oil (Pty) Ltd. The South African Petroleum Industry Association (SAPIA) was formed in July 1994 by these 6 companies to represent the common interests of the petroleum refining and marketing industry in South Africa; and to promote understanding of the industry's contribution to economic and social progress with all stakeholders.

The Retail Motor Industry organisation and NABFRA are groups representing service station owners. The CWIU, SACWU and NUMSA are unions active in the oil industry and have achieved a central bargaining unit for the oil and chemicals industry.

Sources:

Mbendi Oil Industry Profile

!!!New!!!

Article on Labour in the Petrol Industry

High Octane, Low Wages (Mail and Guardian 21/07/2000)

Articles on the Oil Price

Oil Tumbles as USA Taps Strategic Reserves

Opec's Last Chance to extract high Prices (Business Report 10/09/2000)

Oil Prices at 10 Year High (Business Day 21/09/2000)

Oil from Coal....Boon, Bane, or Boondoggle?

If you had posted that the first time, instead of the irrelevant links, you wouldn't have elicited such a strong response. But your behavior toward nopardons stinks. Inexcusable.

--here's another nice page:

http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/safrica.html

excerpt:

December 2000

South Africa The Republic of South Africa, a major coal producer and exporter, has a highly developed synthetic fuel industry and small reserves of oil. South Africa's prospects for sustained natural gas production received a major boost in March 2000 after the discovery of significant offshore reserves.

Note: Information contained in this report is the best available as of December 2000 and can change. GENERAL BACKGROUND In June 1999, President Thabo Mbeki was elected to succeed Nelson Mandela in South Africa's second democratic, non-racial, national election. South Africa, with its capital in Pretoria, is a prominent member of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC), and the Southern Africa Customs Union (SACU).

South Africa's economic growth has been somewhat sluggish in recent years; real gross domestic product (GDP) grew at 1.2% in 1999 and is predicted to grow by 2.5% in 2000. Other economic indicators have been strong, however, prompting the World Bank and other international financial institutions to praise South Africa's economy. In 2000, Standard and Poor's joined Moody's Investor Service in granting South Africa investor-grade status. Foreign direct investment, however, remains below expectations. Although strong against the euro and pound sterling, South Africa's currency, the rand, has lost 20% of its value against the dollar since January 2000. The falling currency, when combined with higher prices for imported oil, has prompted fears of inflation in the country. Currently, inflation is predicted to average 6% for several years.

The cornerstone of South Africa's relationship with the United States is the Binational Commission, which promotes ties across a broad spectrum of trade, business, human resource, energy, environmental, and scientific and technological issues. The Commission's Sustainable Energy Committee coordinates efforts relating to the legal and financial infrastructure needed to increase the availability of electricity; construction of energy-efficient homes; use of clean, renewable fuels in homes and transportation; and training and job opportunities in the energy sector. The U.S. Department of Energy and South Africa's Department of Mineral and Energy Affairs are cooperating in an energy data and information exchange.

COAL Coal is the primary fuel produced and consumed in South Africa and is one of the country's largest sources of foreign exchange. The country's coal reserves are mainly bituminous, with relatively high ash content (about 45%) and low sulfur content (about 1%). Three fields (Waterberg, Witbank, and Highveld) hold 70% of total recoverable reserves. Several areas, including parts of the Waterberg field, have been identified as having potential for future coalbed methane development.

According to data from the South Africa's Department of Mineral and Energy Affairs, coal production in 1999 was 246.4 million short tons (mmst), a decrease of 0.4 mmst from 1998 due to a slump in the international coal market. Billiton's coal arm, Ingwe Coal (Ingwe), and Anglo American's (Amcoal) coal division, Anglo Coal, are the two largest coal producers in South Africa. In June 2000, Anglo Coal and the synthetic fuels group, Sasol, announced a study of the feasibility of joint development of Anglo Coal's Kriel South coal reserves. The study is part of Sasol's ongoing evaluation of the costs and benefits of its coal mining operations.

As the South African mining industry is still predominantly white-controlled, emphasis has been placed on stimulating black-owned companies in the coal industry, as well as throughout the energy sector as a whole. In compliance with South African law and the objectives stated in the government's Energy Policy White Paper, large corporations have made room -- often through the sale of existing assets -- in the South African energy sector for emerging black-owned firms. These black-owned firms are commonly referred to as "empowerment" groups by industry, the government and the South African media. For example, South Africa's procurement policies for Eskom, the parastatal electric utility, grant preferences to companies owned by previously disadvantaged communities in South Africa. In November 2000, Anglo Coal and Ingwe sold assets for $222 million to the black empowerment group Eyesizwe Coal, creating South Africa's fourth largest coal mining company, NewCoal. Anglo Coal retained 11% of NewCoal, and Ingwe retained a 9% interest. NewCoal anticipates production of 19.8 mmst per year, of which 15.4 mmst per year is under contract to Eskom.

Exports Coal exports (nearly one-third of total production) are shipped almost exclusively through the Richards Bay Coal Terminal (RBCT), the world's largest coal export facility. Europe is the primary export market destination, followed by the Pacific Rim countries. Only shareholding members of the company use the RBCT. Current shareholders are: Ingwe, Amcoal, Angovaal, JCI/Lonrho/Duiker, Total SA, Sasol, Gold Fields, Kangra and NewCoal. Coal exports from Richards Bay are expected to reach approximately 73.3 mmst in 2000, up from nearly 69 mmst in 1999.

Other port facilities utilized for coal exports are the recently-opened South Dunes Coal Terminal (SDCT), Durban and Maputo in Mozambique. ISCOR currently exports its coking coal through Durban, and Gold Fields is using Maputo as an export site. Exports through Maputo could increase in the future as infrastructure is upgraded and added. The rail-link between South Africa and Maputo is undergoing a $13.8-million upgrade, and there are plans to dredge the harbor to accommodate larger vessels.

Consumption Estimated domestic consumption of coal was 177.1 mmst in 1998. Electric power generation and synthetic fuel industries consume approximately 85% of local production. Other major steam coal consuming sectors include: gold mining, the cement industry, and the brick and tile industry.

ISCOR's steel plants are the main consumers of domestic coking coal in South Africa. Three-fourths of the requirements (about 3.9 mmst annually) are met by ISCOR's mining operations (the fourth largest) in South Africa. ISCOR also utilizes imports of coking coal and supplies from other local producers to satisfy the remainder of its requirements. Sasol's synthetic fuel and petrochemical operations are another significant source of domestic coal consumption. In 1995, the facilities consumed nearly 40 mmst of coal, of which Sasol's mines met 95% of the requirements.

SYNTHETIC FUELS South Africa has a highly developed synthetic fuels industry, which takes advantage of the country's abundant coal resources and offshore natural gas and condensate production in Mossel Bay. The two major players are Sasol (coal-to-oil/chemicals) and Mossgas (natural gas-to-petroleum products). Sasol has the capacity to produce 150,000 barrels per day (bbl/d), and Mossgas 45,000 bbl/d. The South African government (SAG) ended Sasol's annual $150 million subsidy in July 1999, which was designed to protect it against cheaper imported crude oil.

Sasol is the world's largest manufacturer of oil from coal, with coal liquefaction plants located at Secunda (oil) and Sasolburg (petrochemicals). Started by the government in the 1950s to help reduce South Africa's dependence on imported oil, the company was privatized in 1979. Coal is first gasified, then turned into a range of liquid fuels and petrochemical feedstocks. Sasol is upgrading and expanding its Secunda facilities to reduce costs and to help it remain competitive. The upgrades and expansion are tentatively expected to be completed by 2001.

In early 2000, Sasol launched a study of the feasibility of replacing coal with natural gas as the feedstock for its conversion process and has since taken steps to implement the change. Sasol estimates that the switch to natural gas, which will entail the construction of a 558-mile pipeline to transport gas from the Pande and Temane fields in Mozambique to Sasolburg and Secunda, could be completed within three years. In October 2000, Sasol and the Mozambican government signed three accords which allow for construction of the pipeline and transport of the natural gas out of Mozambique. Sasol was also granted the rights to explore for additional hydrocarbons in the area around the Pande and Temane fields. A regulatory framework for the project was agreed upon in December 2000. Construction on the $500-million pipeline is expected to begin in June 2001. Sasol cites high impending capital investment expenditures in its coal mining operations along with the high costs of compliance with environmental regulations associated with coal as the reasons behind the change to natural gas.

In October 2000, Sasol announced the formation of a joint venture with Chevron to commercialize natural gas-to-liquids technology worldwide. The two companies are equal partners in the venture and anticipate investments totaling more than $5 billion over the next five to ten years.

Mossgas began production in 1993 and remains state-owned. The company is part of the Central Energy Fund (CEF) group of companies through which the State's interest in the liquid fuel industry is owned, developed and managed commercially. Each of these companies has its own Board, which is appointed by the Minister of Minerals and Energy. The Mossgas plant receives natural gas and condensate from the F-A gas field in Mossel Bay through a 54-mile pipeline. Gas from the adjacent E-M field began reaching the onshore plant in September 2000. Mossgas converts the gas into a variety of liquid fuels including motor gasoline, distillates, kerosene, and LPG. Mossgas is constructing a new plant designed to produce 70,000 tons of low aromatic distillates a year, destined for export. Construction is scheduled for completion in the third quarter of 2002.

---it looks like they could do marvelously if they weren't saddled with the "empowerment' communist ANC schemes of transferring businesses to people who are clueless of what they are all about.

--thanks for the link to that thread, it had a lot of good info in it and links.

I'm just constantly amazed we are continually tied to a handful of fatcat big companies who make their profits off of oil in the middle east and exporting weapons and ancillary infrastructure to that region. they are controlling us foreign policy to our detriment. if we had bankrupted the middle east, then al nutjob queda and their saudi masters and their western traitor businessmen allies would be paupers and a lot less willing to go about building expensive wahabi mosques all over the world and engaging in terrorism, and we wouldn't have this artifdicially built "need' for this new perpetual war.

Sitting here typing this under electric light provided via solar and batts and inverters/chargers, all of which can be built using our domestic coal and the tarsands, etc, alternative fuels. One could create the other, a force multiplier effect.. Got the laptop running off of solar. will enjoy a nice meal today, girlfriend will remove something from the solar powered freezer, then something else from the solar powered refrigerator. Then cook dinner. Then I will surf, once again, on the solar powerd laptop, while she reads under the solar powered light or watches solar p[owered television. I might listen to the solar powered radio while I surf. maybe during the sday I might engage in a carpentry project and run a solar powered skill saw or sander or whatever. There will probably be some loads of wash run through the washing machine that is runing on solar, as the well water gets punmped by solar. And I'm sitting here with a solar powered electric heater at my feet right now, that is my addition to the domestically produced propane that runs the heater and stove here. We have abundant coal, wind and sun, we can combine those with some other techniqques like biogas, cogeneration, tidal generation, a lot more, a LOT more low head de-centralised hydropower, and etc, etc, to be energy independent, create millions of new jobs instead of losing jobs, and go to bankrupt the nutjobs.

But NOOO, got to keep coming up with state department excuse after CFR meddling, keep being tied to middle eastern oil, and transfer BILLIONS per annum to them so they can be 21st century slave trading mad jihaders, and we get to keep our domestic tax rate hovering at 50%, mailnly from this huge military that protects a handful of connected goon companies with the side benefit of terrorist groups attacking us. All these connections, the big fake out continues.

Lest ye not forget female genital mutilation and raping virgins to cure AIDS. These folks are in serious need of educatin

Education? ... EDUCATION!?!??

Thanks for looking- I was amazed at how few responded to that, as oppossed to the vast reponse to my rather frivolous "Secret Holes" post earlier!

--ya, it was pretty good, musta missed it the first time, even though I love the energy threads. Basically, we have zero excuse anymore for being dependent on the traditional cartel energy, armaments and building monopolies, other than they are in control in government and set policy and tell the US people what's good for them. Get ya at the pump, get ya at the monthly utility bill in the mail, and get ya bigtime with the income tax, which is just a big series of profit grabs going to the same guys all the time, after the bureaucracy skims it..

Thanks for the post on this subject Quarky...Zimbabwe has been receiving some publicity on the atrocities being committed against white farmers but very little has been mentioned about the large number of white farmers murdered in South Africa, that model of black African rule.

I worked with a lot of "Safricans" in eastern Africa and they used to laugh at the coverage of murders in Zimbabwe and how little is being reported on the murders in S.A.

Wishful thinking. Western civilization is as much about migrations as it is being civilized by Greeks or Romans. Are you saying there were no people in sub -Saharan Africa?

Or are you saying that it's up to whites to civilize them? There have been whites in southern Africa for 400 years. There was no wheel or written phonetic language in the aforementioned region until Arab and Iberian sailors arrived in West Africa nearly 800 years ago now. Who's "fault" is that?

Southern Africa is reverting to form....quite the opposite of accelerated civilizing due to world pressure.

Thanks for the info, also on the other thread. A lot of Dutch people went to South-Africa. But the country is turning into one of the most violent places in the world.

Since YOU are the one , who sent me unsolicited fREEPMAIL, filled with vulgarities and invective, it hardly fits, that you now claim that it is I, who is the one guilty of such things. Projection can be helped ; get some help for your problem.

Givng a link for MALE circumcision, referrencing FEMALE circumcison ( whch IS partially, what you did ) , is not refutation. Apples and oranges.

Do refrain from sending me name calling FREEPmail; that is NOT what it is there for.

Thank you for posting this I do know this, but many others don't.

Since the Rand has been rapidly slipping, for years , syaing that its continuation is due to 9/11/01 and Argentina, is disengenuous. Two and 1/2 years ago, the Rand was low and dropping lower , monthly.

It isn't all that " safe " for European and American tourists. It most certainly is NOT all that " safe " a country, for those who live there. : - (