Oprah Winfrey's Big Shock

Oprah Winfrey was recently devastated by reports of abuse and soliciting at her school in Johannesburg, South Africa. Unfortunately, it came as little surprise to most of the public.

The Daily News report on 6 November 2007, stated that hostel matron Virginia Makopo faces 13 counts of indecent assault, assault and crimen injuria, allegedly against 6 students at the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in Johannesburg. The writer will say ''allegedly'' for legal purposes only, as Ms Makopo pleaded not guilty (www.dailynews.co.za). We are truly sorry for Oprah's disappointment, she has the interests of the youth at heart.

The grim truth, however, is that this behavior is far from extraordinary, especially in rural areas of the country. There are cases, such as one at a school in the Natal Midlands, where the principal was allowing children who couldn't afford school-fees to study for free if they had sex with him. Two of these students fell pregnant and were unable to attend school anyway. Some of the girls are raped by school staff and their mouths remain sealed until someone has the courage to open it. One doesn't need statistics to prove this, it is evident when one sees young girls going to school with babies on their backs, or pregnant. Just two days ago, the writer saw a girl who could not possibly be more than thirteen, she was pregnant. It cannot be a surprise, this ''abandoned baby'' problem we are having. There is an epidemic of abandoned babies, found in rubbish-bins, sewers, septic tanks and under bushes in the veld (see also www.dailynews.co.za for more reports). Can we blame them? Most teenage pregnancies appear to be a result of rape, usually from a family member. If you need an explanation, this is it: these girls live in extended family groups, where they are abused, molested or raped by a father, brother, in-law and sometimes a grandfather, uncle or cousin. They cannot leave their home because they cannot survive on their own income alone (sometimes none at all), they rely on the accumulated income of the household. Once a baby is born, sometimes their studies are terminated and they remain in contact with their abuser. Government grants for babies is about R200 per child (reports vary about this), which is the equivalent of approximately $32 per month.

The use of contraceptives are also not reliable sources of protection as most of the young population are not educated enough in life to understand that these pills do not ''cure'' pregnancy, or that they must be taken daily, at the same time everyday. In any case, it doesn't solve the problem, there is still abuse and misconduct. Choosing to have intercourse should be a choice, not a violation. A new law is being put forward, allowing girls 12 years and older to acquire contraceptives without parental consent. How can it be made clear that this will not solve the problem?

Oprah Winfrey, this must be a huge shock to you, but the problem is far greater and stems from such an engrained sociological malfunction. Maybe if everyone worked together to prevent and incarcerate this type of offender, we could start changing our future. But we don't all work together, do we?