DAY +3 Some reflections

A few days have passed since the verdict. The overwhelming feeling that I am left with is that not a lot has changed. But on reflection that’s not really true – we have a guilty verdict and Zola Mdyogolo is likely to get a long sentence, if that’s any consolation. The more I think about it, the more important it feels that he was found guilty and not really the sentence that he will receive.

The fact that he admitted guilt so readily may reflect that he realises what he did was wrong, or he may believe it will help with mitigating his sentence. As the article in the paper said, he didn’t express any emotion at the verdict – it’s difficult to know what he really feels or thinks. It seems important that he should express some remorse, but maybe it’s too soon for that and probably we will never know it if he ever does.

Today my sister Louise and I went to see ‘Tsotsi’, a South African movie which won an Oscar this year for the best foreign language/international movie (whatever the category is called.) It’s based on the book of the same name by Athol Fugard, a playwright and novelist of long standing in South Africa. If you get to see it, I guess you might understand a little more about some of the complex issues that contribute to South Africa’s crime statistics that I have talked about before.

Something else I have mentioned before is the Jacob Zuma trial. Attempts by the former Deputy President to have the charge of rape dismissed by the court have failed. The trial will resume on Monday. Some see this as a victory, many others don’t.

I plan to post my last daily blog on Friday and thereafter have updates when there’s anything worth reporting.