Pistorius to be released on parole in August: family member

South African athlete Oscar Pistorius is set to be released from prison on parole in August after serving 10 months for culpable homicide in the killing of his model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, a family member said.

Reuters

The Olympic and Paralympic track star is currently serving a five year prison sentence after being convicted in October following a seven-month trial.

“Oscar will be released on parole by the end of August,” a Pistorius family member who did not want to be named told Reuters.

Officials at South Africa’s department of correctional services were not immediately available to comment.

The release of Pistorius, whose lower legs were amputated when he was a baby, was largely expected because he was sentenced under South African law to serve a short period of time in jail, or just one-sixth of the sentence.

Pistorius is being held in South Africa’s capital at the Pretoria Central Prison, once the execution site for opponents of South Africa’s racist, white-minority government.

Steenkamp, a 29-year-old law graduate and model, died almost instantly on Valentine’s Day in 2013 when Pistorius shot her through a locked toilet door at his luxury Pretoria home.

Prosecutors had pushed for a murder conviction, but the athlete maintained he fired in the mistaken belief an intruder was hiding behind the door, a defense that struck home in a country with one of the world’s highest rates of violent crimes.

The prosecutors won their bid to appeal the culpable homicide conviction and will seek a murder conviction when their case is heard in November.

The decision could leave Pistorius open to a prison sentence of at least 15 years if he is convicted of murder.

156 000 children HIV positive – NAC

KWEKWE – Some 156 000 children countrywide are currently living with HIV and at least 121 000 in dire need of anti-retroviral therapy (ART), a National Aids Council (NAC) top official said last week.

By Simon Phiri

Presenting statistics during a Midlands provincial non-health prevention sector meeting in Kwekwe, NAC provincial Aids coordinator Mambeu Shumba said the country had over 1,4 million living with HIV and of these, 63 853 died each year living behind about 889 339 Aids orphans.

Shumba said that about 70 280 pregnant women were HIV-positive.
The latest statistics came in the wake of concerted global efforts to ensure an HIV-free generation in the next few years through a combination of prevention measures.

He said a deliberate effort should be made to increase accessibility of HIV and Aids services, adding that more investments should be made towards awareness and prevention programmes.

“The estimated number of people living with HIV is 1,4 million of whom 156 718 are children between the ages 0 to 14 years. Last year, 70 280 pregnant women tested positive and as of last year again, 121 111 children were in need of ART — estimated annual HIV deaths are 63 853 and estimated Aids orphans are 889 339,” Shumba said.

He added: “There is no province with low risk factors and the highest risk factors are generally in provinces with the main border entry points (Beitbridge, Kariba, Victoria Falls, Plumtree, Forbes and Nyamapanda). This suggests that more investments are needed to reduce risks to HIV infections in Zimbabwe.”

The country’s HIV prevalence rate currently stands at 15%.

Mambeu told NewsDay that stigma and discrimination were retarding the fight against HIV and said efforts were being made to address the problem. Meanwhile, NAC Midlands provincial office has said that it spent more than $21 million in 2011 and 2012 towards HIV prevention activities.

Kartel inspires ghetto youth

To many dancehall fanatics, Vybz Cartel 2008 smash hit Clarks is just a song that makes them want to gyrate.

BY WINSTONE ANTONIO

In the video, Vybz Cartel goes on to show off different shoe ranges that have inspired a Mbare-based craftsman to come up with a distinct shoe label that has stolen the hearts of Jah Prayzah, Killer T and Seh Calaz, among other musicians.

Taliban Clax — real name Talent Kelvin Jakachira — said he was motivated by Vybz Cartel’s lyrics which has become a source of inspiration in his life.

“When economic woes worsened around 2007 and I could not afford to buy shoes, I decided to take the challenge and try to make my own shoes getting inspiration from the Clarks video,” Taliban Clax said.

The enterprising youth has risen to the challenges of a declining Zimbabwean economy characterised by the closing of industries and few job opportunities creating new avenues of employment through craftsmanship work after being inspired by the video.

The Clarks video released in 2008 shows a range of stylish collection of footwear.

NewsDay visited Taliban Clax at his workstation in Mbare, Harare, and he chronicled his entrepreneurial journey of risk, belief and reward that started after watching Vybz Kartel’s Clarks video.

Taliban Clax said when he was growing up, his wish was to become a pilot or an engineer, but due to the economic hardships, everything failed and today he was into the business of making shoes, wallets and belts.

“After making my own pair, I realised that I was capable of scaling greater heights and many people started to ask me to make some for them. Since then I never looked back until today.”

The 28-year-old Nyazura-born youth said it was not easy at the beginning as he had to go through a string of failures to get to where he is today.

“When starting a business, one needs to have self-belief. If you don’t start, you won’t go anywhere and you have to start from somewhere that has helped me to develop my business,” Taliban Clax said.

He said his products’ long lifespan and attractive designs had seen many people, including celebrities, stampeding for them.
“With my products I make sure I give people value for money. My price for formal shoes ranges from $20 to about $80 for both men and women while sandals go for an average of $10 per pair,“ he said.
“I am also making shoes and belts for many local artistes, especially those into dancehall, among them Seh Calaz, Kinnah, Killer T, Lady Squanda and Jah Prayzah.”

Taliban Clax said at the moment, on a day he can make about five pairs, depending on the resources available.

Although Taliban Clax dreams big in an effort to expand his business to become one of the biggest shoe companies in the country, he bemoans lack of resources as the major challenge.

“I wish to expand my business, but capital is the major limitation as I strive to expand my operations. Sometimes I fail to meet the demand,” he said.

“If I get a monetary boost, my desire is to purchase machines like leather cutters, embroidering machine, grinder, heating ovens and brushing machines.”

Taliban Clax said he could not even account for how much he gets on a monthly base since the little he gets is instantly directed towards the family upkeep.

“Sometimes I fail to get material and wait for a customer to pay a deposit for me to start work,” he said.

Taliban Clax is among many young citizens who are displaying their entrepreneurial flair by crafting affordable and durable shoes from used tyres and running a backyard handmade shoe business as a way to escape unemployment in modern Zimbabwe.

He went to Chiedza Primary School in Mbare, Harare, between 1994 and 1999 before attending Harare High from 2000 to 2004 for his secondary education.

Taliban is married and has two children.