ACDP Parliamentary newsletter - 12 September 2003
Here is the latest news from Parliament:
1. Gang rape a symptom of immoral society
2. Act against the lowering of age of sexual consent
3. Further Education and Training Certificate to transform education
4. Take a stand against the destruction of marriage
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1. Gang rape a symptom of immoral society
Media Statement: ACDP leader Reverend Kenneth Meshoe
12 September 2003
The gang rape of a matric pupil by three Pretoria students has been strongly condemned by ACDP leader Reverend Kenneth Meshoe.
"This terrible crime in another indication of the decay of morals and respect in South African society," Rev Meshoe said.
Newspapers on Friday reported that the rape of the young girl was carried out by three students from the University of Pretoria, two of them believed to be the grandsons of a former cabinet minister.
"The liberal legislation and policies brought in by the ANC have contributed towards a breakdown of law and order. These students no longer have respect for other people because the policies implemented in this country do not promote respect.
"Children, especially those of a political leader, must be taught morals that they can pass on to their children. They must be taught what is right and wrong instead of leaving them to experiment and come to wrong decisions.
"The government has undermined the authority of parents over children and this must be given back. We believe it was a blunder to remove corporal punishment from schools and the ACDP would like to see children punished for being disrespectful and breaking the law," Rev Meshoe said.
"This unfortunate incident also happened at a time when the government is trying to lower the age of sexual consent to between 12 and 16, a move that the ACDP has said will exacerbate rape.
"We call on the government to stop their dangerous actions that will expose more children to sexual abuse by those who have no respect for themselves, authority or other people," Rev Meshoe said.
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2. Act against the lowering of age of sexual consent
Please note that those wishing to object to proposals in the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Amendment Bill to lower the age of sexual consent to between must submit their objections to the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Constitutional Development before the closing date on Monday, 15 September. E-mailed submissions can be sent to sejonas@parliament.gov.za.
It is critical that as many people as possible are given the opportunity to comment on the lowering of the age of sexual consent, says ACDP spokesperson on justice Steve Swart, and we encourage people to circulate this information as widely as possible.
In terms of the new Bill, children between the ages of 12 and 16 years are permitted to engage in sexual experimentation with partners also below the age of 16. The age of consent for homosexual relations has been lowered from 19 to 16 years, for both genders.
"While the ACDP welcomes much of the Sexual Offences Bill, particularly relating to the extension of the definition of rape, the reduction of the age of consent is very concerning," says Swart.
"Cabinet's approval for legislation to lower the age for consensual sexual relations and experimentation interferes with the parental responsibility of teaching children about sex and encourages children to experiment sexually.
"The ACDP rejects the reduction of the age of consent for homosexual sex from the present age of 19 to 16, and even to 12 for homosexual experimentation between children. There is no doubt that children need to be protected from homosexual acts during their formative years," Swart said.
"The ACDP calls for a reconsideration of these age limits as the implications for our children are inestimable. Teenage years are fraught with emotional conflict as the transition from child to adult is made and our children need to be protected and guided, rather than encouraged to participate in homosexual and heterosexual sexual experimentation, with possible life-threatening consequences.
"We believe that the age of consent for heterosexual sex should be the same as that for marriage, which is 18, while the age of consent for homosexual relations should remain at 19," Swart said.
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3. Further Education and Training Certificate to transform education
The department of education's new FETC system, which they have described as 'revolutionary' and a 'world first', is necessary to completely transform education, the department says.
Responding to a question by ACDP spokesperson on health Cheryllyn Dudley on why the department had chosen to subject South African youth to such an experiment, the department replied that this new system is necessary to close the chapter on inferior apartheid education.
The department explained that the curriculum will provide learners with an opportunity to choose to follow either an academic stream or general vocational stream. Schools will provide the general curriculum to prepare students for higher education while Further Education and Training colleges will provide a technical vocational curriculum for higher education or entry into the job market. This would allow every student that passes grade 12 with an opportunity to enter higher education.
All students would graduate with knowledge of mathematical concepts, as students are required to take mathematics literacy aimed at teaching maths in a practical way.
Questioned about whether the department was concerned that the new system of assessments to replace final Matric exams would not lead to nepotism or corruption, the department replied that these assessments are not a secret and students are able to assess their own work and that of their peers before being assessed by someone else. Where marks or performance levels differ markedly, the outcomes and standards are used to debate the allocation. .
Students still have the responsibility to achieve outcomes and assessors will evaluate performance against set standards. Assessment is divided into 25% continuous assessment, which consists of marks accumulated during the learning process and 75% external examinations. All these points in the assessment chain are subject to moderation by the independent quality authority UMLUSI.
According to the department, this system has the support of the South African Universities' Vice Chancellors' Association and the Committee of Technikon Principals.
"Although this system is well thought out, it is still a theory that has not been tried and tested. To date, reports from parents on the OBE system have been concerning as many parents believe this system is negatively affecting their children," Cheryllyn said.
"It is however important that it does work, for the sake of our children. While this system is the currently only option we have, we encourage parents and teachers to support the system and see that children do not fall into the trap of not taking responsibility for their work.
"We encourage parents to watch out for unfair assessments as the department appears open for these to be challenged," Cheryllyn said.
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4. Stand against the destruction of marriage
"Social customs have changed radically, outdating early notions of marriage as the only form of acceptable relationship," says the South African Law Commission
Do you agree that marriage is outdated? Do you believe that "shack up" and homosexual "couples" should receive the same benefits, rights and responsibilities as married couples ?
If you would like to defend marriage, you are invited to take part in regional workshops held by the South African Law Commission (SALC) on their proposal to insert a clause into the Marriage Act to recognise domestic partnerships between people of the same or opposite sex as a legal marriage.
These workshops will provide an opportunity for interested parties to discuss the draft Bill included in the discussion paper. The discussion paper is available (listed as Project 118, Domestic Partnerships) at http://wwwserver.law.wits.ac.za/salc/discussn/discussn.html
In order to attend the workshops, contact C Pienaar as soon as possible for an invitation by e-mailing cpienaar@salawcom.org.za, telephoning (012) 322 6440 or faxing (012) 320 0936 to request an invitation.
Dates and venues for the workshops: 7 Oct (Gauteng), 9 Oct (Durban), 10 Oct (East London), 13 Oct (Bloemfontein), 14 Oct (Cape Town), 21 Oct (Pietermaritzburg), 27 Oct (Polokwane), or 28 Oct (Nelspruit).
Workshops will be free and a light lunch provided.
In preparation, read the SALC discussion paper and draft bill. Africa Christian Action group also recommends reading "The Pink Agenda" by Christine Mc Cafferty with Peter Hammond, avilable from Africa Christian Action (telephone (021) 689 4481). ACA will distribute comment on the discussion paper and draft bill shortly. Please contact Christine for more information (082 672 3470).
ACDP leader Reverend Kenneth Meshoe has said that the ACDP will object to this proposal as it is against God's plan and purpose for marriage.
"Marriage is not man's idea, but was instituted by God to be a committed and loving relationships between one man and one women, joined as husband and wife for the purposes of a partnership in the home and procreation."
If you cannot be involved in the workshops, you can make a valuable contribution through prayer. Pray that wicked plans will be confused and come to nothing, while the Lord will prosper His people and His design.
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