Hole in the Wall - the soap

Nkosinathi Somgidi was born on the 12th October, 1991 - which makes him about 16 years old. According to Goodman (who owns and manages the security force here), he had the boy arrested some time ago for apparently assaulting his son while his son was on guard duty at the hotel. Goodman says that Nkosinathi spat at his son and slapped him in the face (through the fence at the hotel entrance).

I enquired whether it was true that the 16 year old Nkosinathi had been in prison for 2 months already up 'til now, and he replied that's not true, because he's being held at Mapuzi police station holding cells and not in "prison". I then asked Goodman why the incident occurred - but by that stage he was so thoroughly incensed at the fact that I was questioning his authority that he refused to talk to me further, and would only talk to "Mister Brown" (senior). I walked away with him still shouting at my back "How can you accuse me?"

Goodman went to speak to "Mister Brown" straightaway and explained that Kholeka's son, Nkosinathi, had attacked his son and threatened or implied that Goodman's entire family was hated by everyone in the village and that they were on a death-list of some sort. The funny thing is that while conveying the absolute and personal seriousness with which he took the threat (people have been dying around here), Goodman said that if she had only come to him to apologize for her son's behavior then everything would have been alright...

Now the original story that I heard was something about Nkosinathi being arrested for stealing a pair of shoes. According to his brother Sandile the shoes had been lying abandoned in the school for a few days before eventually being taken by someone. I don't know anything about the truth of this stupid issue, but it seems that Goodman doesn't have any evidence about the shoes - therefore it didn't enter into his grievances upon questioning - but it's a bit harsh keeping a 16 year old in those appalling conditions for that period of time; bad enough that the family has already forfeited his R500 bail (when he appeared in court the magistrate postponed his case - and when he was called by the clerk later in the day he was apparently not present) and will shortly have to pay a fine for assault and, presumably, crimen injuria. Little enough they have anyway. Nkosinathi's case is on the 8th May, 2008.

I know I'm wrong or over-react about many things, but I've been concerned about the polarization between Goodman's security force and the community in which I live for some time (http://www.noladzana.iblog.co.za/2006/08/11/balance_of_opposing_forces/)... and perhaps I'm over-reacting now, but it's pretty damn depressing living around these people who are so undermined (victimized and demonized) in their own village; and apparently not being able to do anything about it.