Real South African News

[Maritz]

Shaik : Why Is Zuma Free ?

President Jacob Zuma was considering convicted fraudster Schabir Shaik's application for a pardon, a spokesman said on Monday. Presidential spokesman Vincent Magwenya said Shaik had applied for pardon and it was being considered by the president. "The president is considering a number of applications and Shaik's is among them," said Magwenya. "His application is not enjoying any special consideration." Magwenya said there was no deadline for Zuma to make a decision.

"The president is not obligated to keep to any specific timeline. The Constitution allows him to grant a pardon when he has considered all the facts before him". Shaik was convicted for having a "generally corrupt" relationship with Zuma while Zuma was deputy president. The matter related to South Africa's arms deal with the French weapons company Thint. Shaik was sentenced to 15 years in prison and started his prison sentence in November 2006.

He was released on parole on medical grounds for being in the "last stages of a terminal illness" in March, but a Sunday newspaper photographed him driving around and shopping in Durban during the week [... it was a miracle ... suddenly he is in top health !] He reportedly chased after the newspaper's photographer, swearing at him in Afrikaans. Speaking to the newspaper, Shaik demanded a "f**king pardon". [... heard of a pardon, but never a "f**king pardon"!]

The newspaper Rapport quoted him saying that as long as he remained a prisoner, "other people are equally guilty. Why should I ask for pardon at all ? If three people were part of a so-called plot to elicit money out of the French, why are the French free, why is the president free and why is Shaik still a prisoner ? [clearly Shaik has never heard of a scapegoat !] Come on !" he said.

Magwenya said Shaik's pardon application was among "hundreds" of others, including those of former Vlakplaas commander Eugene de Kock and hundreds of IFP supporters who were still serving sentences for political violence [... as if the terrorist wing of the anc(mk) and pac(apla) were never guilty of political violence]. He declined to comment on Shaik's statement on why he was in prison, while the president was still free.

Source : http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=nw20091221130306995C210030

[Maritz]

80% Of Matrics To Fail Maths

Pretoria - Over 80% of matriculants will fail maths exam paper 1 (algebra) if their grades aren't adjusted [... in order for the muds to pass]. This is the opinion of Jurg Basson, a mathematics consultant and part-time maths lecturer at the University of Johannesburg (UJ). Basson, who's seen the controversial exam paper, confirmed on Sunday the complaints of hundreds of grade 12s, subject teachers and moderators.

Once the moderating process was completed, several moderators indicated an impending "crisis" with regard to maths results [ ... the muds being the "crisis"]. A moderator in Mpumalanga, who prefered to remain anonymous, said candidates who aren't very strong fared extremely poorly, and that there are some who achieved only 2 out of a possible 150 points for the paper [... no wonder its a "crisis" ... a "no-brain crisis"].

Basson says he was very disappointed by the exam paper. It was too difficult and not compiled according to the prescribed guidelines. According to the guidelines, there must be sufficient questions on levels 1, 2, 3 and 4. "That means the compilation of questions must be done in a way that there are enough questions for weaker and very strong pupils". According to Basson, there were very few questions on level 1, while it should amount to about 30%.

"The implication is that all the weaker pupils which one hoped would pass, are not going to make it" [ ... they never do, that why the Whites have been carrying them]. He said there will be no other alternative than to adjust the grades. Basson said the candidates' achievement in maths won't improve unless the core of the problem - the teaching of the subject and the quality of the exam papers - is remedied [ ... rephrase - "the mud candidates' achievement in maths won't improve unless the papers are made easier].

Basson said while teachers in top schools might be satisfied with the paper, there are those in rural and township schools who wouldn't be able to complete the paper themselves [ ... be careful Basson, that sounds "racist" to me !]. When matriculants wrote the paper on November 6, Beeld[newspaper] reported about complaints which came streaming in, including that it had been "utterly unreasonable" and "incredibly difficult".

Granville Whittle, spokesperson for the department of basic education, said on Sunday that the department has received reports that the paper had been too difficult. The department will submit all the exam grades to Umalusi, the council for quality assurance in general and further education and training on Monday. Umalusi will have to decide whether the degree of difficulty of this particular maths exam paper was fair, as well as whether the grades should be adjusted.

Prof Kobus Maree, an educational psychologist at the University of Pretoria (UP) who also has a doctorate in subject didactics in mathematics, said adjusting the grades would be pointless. "Adjusting the grades artificially would be an injustice to the pupils, but also to lecturers who must work with them at university next year, while they don't even have the basic skills". He said the exam paper should be independently analysed. According to Maree it seems as if the majority of pupils should rather take mathematics literacy, because the current teaching of maths clearly does not make provision for them. [ ... the truth at last !]

Source : http://www.news24.com/Content/SouthAfrica/News/1059/cf4eb09dd4334af68a4579d2e599bc7b/21-12-2009-07-36/80_of_matrics_to_fail_maths