JZ and His Day in Court

Jacob Zuma is back on his schtick about being ready to prove his innocence in court. More specifically he says that the delays in his day in court coming about have nothing to do with him.

These statements triggered me to review a post I wrote some time back but kept as draft...

Jacob Zuma has very publicly asked for his day in court to prove his innocence regarding corruption charges laid against him.

Since then he appears to have exerted, and continues to exert, considerable effort to keep himself from having his day in court and to restrict what evidence is available for presentation on that day in court.

To me this seems at odds with his declared desire to prove his innocence.

My understanding of South African law is that a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt. Further, in a court of law, a person is either found guilty or not guilty, unless charges are dropped.

Is there a difference between being presumed innocent and being found not guilty, because, in either case, the charges couldn't be proven satisfactorily.

Where am I heading with this?

Jacob Zuma declared that he wants the opportunity to prove his innocence. While, to me at least, his actions look a lot more like someone who is trying his damnedest to prevent anything that might prove his guilt or possibly expose some other undisireable information about his doings from coming into the court's or the public's eyes and ears.

I would like to think that if Jacob Zuma was truly innocent he would hauling out every bit of evidence that he could to show that he is unsullied by any impropiety.

And what has he produced in that regard? Think hard.

So I wonder, if Jacob Zuma is found not guilty on his day in court, what is the likelihood that he will have proven his innocence beyond reasonable doubt rather than that his accusers were not able to prove his guilt beyond reasonable doubt?

Reverse Racism (sic)

Some months back there was an uproar triggered by the Foundation of Black Journalists hosting an event that specifically excluded anyone who was not 'black'.

Shortly after the event I was driving and listening to a radio talk show where people were talking about this event. By far most of the people were strongly disapproving of the FBJ. So far so good.

But a disturbing sub text popped out a few times...

A number of the callers described the FBJ's actions as 'reverse racism'. Nobody made any response or comment about this term.

What is reverse racism?

Let's start by considering what racism is. To my understanding racism is any prejudicial behaviour towards anybody that can be attributed to a bias based on race or attributes of race.

Beats me, but based on that, I can't come up with a definition of reverse racism.

Now if you consider what seems to be becoming a more widespread unspoken definition of racism is that it is prejudicial behaviour by lighter skinned people against darker skinned people. On that basis we can make some perverse sense of the term as being prejudicial behaviour by darker skinned people against lighter skinned people.

What also seems to be becoming more and more prevalent is that any criticism of, or behaviour against, darker skinned people by lighter skinned people, irrespective of whether it is justified or not, is being labelled as racist.

Isn't that just so sick.

Looking Back on Szeged and Forward to Duisburg

This report by Dave Macleod on the GPKayak group.

Duisburg, Germany – Following last weekend’s showdown in Szeged that settled the tussle between ace national sprint canoeists Jen Hodson and Bridgitte Hartley for the solitary women’s 500m K1 berth at the Beijing Olympics, Hartley will team up in a K2 with Michele Eray at this weekend’s World Cup in Germany.

While crushed by her defeat in the A final of the women’s 500m K1 race in Hungary last weekend, Hartley has refocused her energy on her partnership with Eray, who is also a key member of the high-flying women’s K4 squad.

“Bridgitte and I have been paddling together in the K2, so it was a logical decision,” said Eray. “She has already qualified for the Olympics, and it now adds a new dimension to our Olympic dream by adding a serious K2 challenge to the women’s K1 and K4 races.”

The duo have entered the weekend’s Duisburg regatta, and hope to get their K2 combination to click at what is widely regarded as the most fiercely competitive sprint regatta in the world.

This weekend’s regatta marks a return to the course where the women’s K4 caught the canoeing world’s attention when they qualified for the Olympics at last year’s World Championships.

“We love this course!” enthused Eray. “We made the A final here in our first K4 season, and last year we qualified for Beijing here. We also have a good draw for the first heat this year, so we are feeling very positive about our chances.”

The K4 challenge at last weekend’s World Cup in Szeged was derailed by Eray falling prey to a stomach virus that left her weakened, Carol Joyce was battling with a cold, and Nikki Mocke struggled with an eye completely closed for four days after being stung by a bee.

“If you consider that we missed out on making the A final by 0.004 of a second, in our first regatta of the season, and with all the attention focused on the battle for the K1 place, then we didn’t do too badly,” said Mocke.

“Our Olympic plans are right on track,” Mocke added. “We are continually working on the technical aspects of our combination, and every week it feels like we are a faster stronger and more experienced crew.”

Shaun Rubenstein will also be looking to the Duisburg course to further his Olympic fine tuning. It was at this venue that he hit the canoeing headlines by medalling in the 3000m event as an unknown youngster against some of the world’s best sprinters a few years ago.

Rubenstein made the B finals of both the men’s 1000m and 500m K1 races in Szeged, proving to be competitive against the world’s best in some heavily loaded semi-finals. The Benoni star had to settle for fourth in his 500m K1 semi-final, and a place in the B final.

“I only missed out on making the final by 0,03 of a second,” said Rubenstein. “I finished behind Akos Vereskei in third and 0,3 of a second behind world champ Tim Brabants in second and just over a second behind winner Adam Van Koeverden, the Olympic champion.”

“I have learned some hard lessons this past weekend,” said Rubenstein. “I have now put my bad results behind me as I prepare for this weekend’s World Cup in Germany.”

Calvin Mokoto, the 19 year old Benoni C1 paddler who has also qualified for the Beijing games, continues to attract attention at international regattas as his form rapidly improves.

The Benoni youngster raced into the C2 semi-finals with fellow Gauteng paddler Radek Olszewski, and is thriving on the support he enjoys as the only African C-boat paddler at major international regattas.

The Duisburg World Cup, which is being widely regarded as a dress rehearsal for August’s Olympics, gets under way on Friday, and ends on Sunday.

Paddling Heaven

For South Africans, where our good paddling rivers are some distance away from population centres, it is just mind blowing to see the venue for the recent World Wildwater Champs.

Just look at the water. We're used to muddy brown water with only a few races run on 'clean' water - notably the Drak Challenge.

Lovely clean water, looks like nice fun rapids with a good flow.



Then the ambience of the town Ivrea in the Piedmontese region of North-West Italy.

Beautiful old architecture that is where real people actually live.

It appears that the locals and the organisers really went out of their way to make the whole event truly mememorable.

I can only imagine what a buzz it must be to paddle through this beautiful town.



And it appears that the European early summer decided to play ball. Look at the beautiful sky.

Paddling heaven indeed.

Catching Up

OZONE DETOX CLINIC CHILL CHALLENGE RESULTS - 11 JUNE

49.11 Gareth Gee/Brad Fleming (PB? Previous best 49.13!)

50.30 Steve Buhr/Serge van Hee (PB was 49.03)

50.42 Shaun Maphanga / Archie Moncho (JNR / NOVICE) WINNERS of the NOVICE in the BOAT Chill Challenge

51.16 Jeromy Dacey/Mark Evans (NOVICE) 2^nd Novice Challenge position!

51.16 Fred Meiring/Hardus Theunissen

52.20 Gary Fleming/Mark Trump (NOVICE) 3^rd Novice Challenge position!

52.27 Chad Andrews/Jansen McCord (NOVICE) 4^th Novice Challenge position!

53.43 Carrol/John Evans (FIRST MASTER Challenge winner – Well done Carrol again!)

56.01 Xolani Simelane

58.35 Shirley Bailey/Emile Theunissen

60.30 Peter Bailey (SECOND MASTER Challenge winner !)

61.11 Adrian Vroom/Lynne van Zyl

63.05 Kameran Jacobsohn (JNR/Novice)

65.40 Len Lubbe

66.59 Dugan Afonso (JNR /NOVICE)

70.27 Garth Upton/Matthew Critchfield

OZONE DETOX CLINIC CHILL CHALLENGE RESULTS - 4 JUNE!

47.56 Loveday Zondi

49.05 Dekker Erasmus/Serge van hee

49.57 Gareth Gee/Brad Fleming (ONE minute penalty for missing buoy – Sorry boys! Well done)

50.53 Freddie Meiring/Hardus Theunissen

52.28 Shaun Maphanga - ( ja, slacking already!)

53.22 Carrol/John Evans

53.23 Gavin Myburgh/Bertie Baard

53.23 Jeromy Dacey

53.35 Gary Fleming/Mark Trump

54.45 Michael Upton/Rory Engelbrecht

57.30 The Brothers

57.52 Matt Wittich

55.08 Nick/Llewellyn – JCC

59.14 Chad Andrews/Matthew Critchfield (WELL DONE FIRST TT)

60.03 Kameran Jacobsohn/Emile Theunissen

61.47 Jimmy Mollenze

62.22 Jansen McCord/Archie Moncho

63.46 Len Lubbe

OZONE DETOX CLINIC CHILL CHALLENGE RESULTS - 28 MAY

49.37 Loveday Zondi - NOTE these top 3 names as you will often see them in future in winning results!

49.38 John Ngcobo

49.39 Michael Mbanjwa / Xolani Simelane – (Jnr)

Michael : 2008 winner Dusi, Non Stop Dusi and BIG Water FISH!

50.22 Gareth Gee/Brad Fleming

52.01 Shaun Maphanga

52.51 Serge van Hee

53.46 Chad Andrews

54.02 Gavin Myburgh/Brett Bovey

55.54 Tinus Fourie

55.54 Dekker Erasmus

56.06 Bertie Baard/Nick from JCC – welcome!

58.32 Burton Weakley

58.41 Iain / Paul Smith

62.24 Kameran Jacobsohn – JNR

63.24 Shirley-Anne Bailey – JNR

63.25 Peter Bailey

65.26 Carrol Evans

65.42 Lizelle van Aswegen

OZONE DETOX CLINIC CHILL CHALLENGE RESULTS - 21 MAY

50.50 Dekker Erasmus/Burton Weakley - WINNER Lucky draw (Dekker)

51.18 Carrol Evans / Shaun Maphanga - WINNER First MIXED Double

51.19 Bruce Banfield/Shirley Bailey Winner Second MIXED Double (and SHIRLEY won a lucky draw!)

51.20 Serge van Hee / Sonica Reichert (Third MIXED Double)

51.46 Fred Meiring /Hardus Theunissen

52.42 Gavin Myburgh / Ian Upton (WINNERS of HEAVIEST PADDLER COMBINATION HANDICAP PRIZE )

53.43 Gareth Gee/Lizelle Van Aswegen

54.35 Mark Evans/Jimmy Mollentze

57.51 Steve Buhr

58.02 Mike Upton / Rory Engelbrecht

60.01 John Evans/Peter Bailey

62.18 Matt Wittich

62.30 Kameron Jacobsohn JNR

62.32 Len Lubbe – WINNER first Grand Master

62.40 Mike Wilmot / Lionel Benham – WELCOME JCC – WINNER SECOND GRANDMASTER

63.20 Adrian Vroom / Jennie Dallas

64.41 Brett Bovey

73.30 Archie Moncho – JNR

73.30 Jansen Mccord – JNR

OZONE DETOX CLINIC CHILL CHALLENGE RESULTS - 14 MAY

44.49 Martin van der Berg/Brandon van der Walt

47.08 K4 – Serge van Hee, Steve Buhr, Jimmy Mollenze, Mark Evans

Congratulations Serge on winning the FLOATERS award….for worst K4 steering ever!

Recipients of the HANDICAP SURPRISE DRAW

49.13 Gareth Gee/Brad Fleming

53.02 Bruce Banfield

53.03 Gary Fleming/Mark Trump

54.29 Gavin Myburgh/Brett Bovey

56.44 Chad Andrews/Dustin Hoffman

56.45 Carrol Evans/Lizelle van Aswegen: Winners of the ladies Doubles

59.58 Bertie Baard/Vernon Kretschmar

61.02 Paul Smith – WINNER OF THE LUCKY DRAW

62.21 Dennis Carlse

62.47 Sonica Reichert/Minnie Kretschmar : 2^nd place Ladies Doubles

66.00 Jansen Mccord / Archie Moncho

66.01 Warrick Lee/Jennie Dallas