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Grocott’s Mail Tuesday, 18 May 2010TAX FREE... Rhodes Democratic Alliance Student Organisation were positioned outside theRhodes Bantu Steve Biko Building asking students to sign their petitions in support of zero VATon textbooks, declaring education as an essential service. Photo: Prudence MiniDA calls for taxfree textbooksPRUDENCE MINIThe Rhodes DemocraticAlliance Student Organisation(DASO) helda picket last week Friday in amotion to have VAT scrappedon all textbooks.This national campaignran during the course of lastweek in 17 universities acrossthe country in support ofDemocratic Alliance (DA)Member of Parliament, DionGeorge’s proposal for zeroVAT on textbooks.According to the campaign’sbriefing sheet, allbooks are subject to the 14%rate of value added tax (VAT)under the current SouthAfrican legislation.“South Africa lags behindthe rest of the world in our taxpolicy on books. In numerouscountries such as Ghana, Kenya,Philippines and Australia,no tax is charged on books atall. Comparative research hasalso shown quite clearly thatreducing the cost of books,by reducing VAT charged onthem, has a powerful effecton the purchase of books andreadership,” the briefing read.The DA believes that taxingbooks is a tax on learning,knowledge and literacy. In effortsto prioritise measures topromote literacy and education,they believe that zeroratingon books would be acost-effective measure to contributetowards this.DA Constituency OperationsManager, FrancoisAs a matterof factBABONGILE ZULUAND SANDHIRA CHETTYThe property which housesthe historical Phoenix RollerMills was sold on Friday toBud Hare from Grahamstown,who did not wish todisclose the amount. “It wasa good deal. I got a good dealand Bonsor got a good deal,”he said. The mill itself wasnot sold for R55 000, as statedin Friday’s edition of Grocott’sMail, but in fact for R80000. Dave Mullins from DaveMullins Auctioneers says heis satisfi ed with the outcomeof the auction.Greyling said that the initiativeis looking at creating awarenessof this issue as well asgathering support from thepublic. He said if books werezero-rated, a library makinga purchase order of 3 000 newbooks could purchase roughly400 additional books whichwould have a positive knockoneffect for those South Africansrelying on libraries as asource of knowledge.“We are fighting for it to bepassed as a Bill in Parliament,not only for students but theaverage man on the street anddisadvantaged communities,”he added. He said that thiscampaign runs together withanother ongoing programmeto declare education as an essentialservice, which wouldprevent teachers from striking.“To look at a student’sperspective, money is an issueand textbooks changeevery year, so this may seemlike a small thing but everyReport back for the week…Attempted Break-ins: 1Attempted theft of motor vehicles: 1Mugging: 1Arrests: 1Crime TipIf you are hiring a house sitter, makesure they know how to work youralarm system and informHi-tec of the contact person you have.bit helps,” said Rhodes DASObranch leader, Frederik Kirstenin referring to the importanceof the campaign. “We arealso trying to get pressure offthe students so they can focuson more important things,” headded. He said that there hasbeen a positive response fromthe students for this initiativewith many signing the petitionto show their support. Rhodesstudent, Chipo Chakungu saidthat she signed the petition asbooks are so expensive andshe finds it even more difficultto buy books as she is notSouth African.Another student, SandileDube liked the idea of the campaignas cheaper books wouldmean saving more money.NEWSKINGSWOOD COLLEGEKingswood Junior Schoolinvites all Grannnies and Grandpas toGrandparents’ DayFriday 28 May 2010Pre-Primary 08h30Junior School 09h30(For more information Tel 046 6036650)Frederick Van Zyl Slabbert –a personal memoireMICHAEL WHISSONWITH the rugged looks ofHarrison Ford, the formerFirst XV No 8 and Hall Warden,Van Zyl looked to bethe perfect Stellenboschproduct when we met inabout 1973. He was teachingSociology at the Universityof Stellenbosch.I was teaching Anthropologyat UCT and HW vander Merwe, a newcomerfrom Rhodes to UCT, wastrying to bring the socialscientists in the WesternCape together. Discussionswere robust – the Matiessuggesting that they couldturn the government roundfrom within, the Ikeys thatopposition had to be principledand open.Van Zyl, having spenttime at Rhodes, seemedopen to both views – andbecame active in the StudyProject on Christianityin Apartheid Society(SPROCAS), an initiativeof the Christian Institute toplan for a society after apartheid,which included somemore open-minded Nationalistsand intellectual revolutionarieslike Ric Turner,whom the state was toassassinate.I was visited by one ofthe Maties who explained tome that he was not an Afrikaner,but German (implyinga mediatory role). “TheyFrederik Van Zyl Slabbert:1940-2010PRONTODriving School - BestuurskoolFast & Effective Training!POP A BALLOON!Book your free evaluation lessons at theArch and win fantastic prizes.• LEARNERS TRAINING FREEEvery Mon 17:00 Frontier Hotel072 938 5579everyone wins everytimeST ANDREW’SPREPARATORY SCHOOLpresentspresented by the Grade 7 Class ofSt Andrew’s Prep SchoolDate: 27th and 28th May 2010Time: 19h00Venue: Memory HallCost: R30 per adult and R15 per scholarBookings essential - Angela (046) 603 2401by Wednesday 19 May 2010We look forward to seeing you at our showJan StrydomYour favouritecoach15 yrsExperience3feel you are a boerehater,” heconfided.“No,” I replied, “Not aboerehater but a papbroekehater,perhaps. They all kowtowto the old prof even whenthey know he’s lying. The onlyone who doesn’t is Slabbert.”“Ah,” said the mediator,“Slabbert. You know, he is anorphan. He was not broughtup by his own parents.”We next met when, followingex-Rhodian Ben Dekker’spompous pricking campaignagainst “Div” Graaf in Rondeboschin 1971, Van Zyl capturedthe seat for the seat forthe Progressive Party, bringingsupport to end HelenSuzman’s lonely vigil as theonly principled opponent ofthe Nationalists in Parliament.He recruited, amongothers, Errol Moorcroft –farmer, Rhodian, Rhodesscholar, and rugby star –who became the first Progressiveto win a rural seatin Albany.They were not like otherpoliticians – they only spokethe truth, even when not totheir electoral advantage.Like Helen Suzman, theywere not for sale, regardlessof the size of the bid.Moorcroft spent most of histime working for people whocould not vote for him, jeopardisinghis support fromamong those who could.Slabbert’s departure,along with Alex Boraine,from formal politics, to establishthe institute for Democracyin Africa (Idasa)and to work quietly withHW van der Merwe and theexiles to build channels ofcommunication, was a cruelblow to his party, but it freedhim to make a special contributionto our astonishinglypeaceful transition fromapartheid to democracy.He remained, as myGerman colleague had toldme, “an orphan”: not tiedto the traditions and prejudicesof his ancestors, butwholly, remarkably and honorably,his own man.