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African Culling Experiment Part Two

Claire L Cardwell

I help people realise their dreams. Architectural Designer, Writer (The Naked Architect), and Artist +27 82 399 0180

发布日期: 2017年9月22日

When I first arrived in South Africa in 1999 there was a rather dark joke circulating. The Toyota Hiace - used as an informal taxi was also known as the 'High Impact African Culling Experiment'. It wasn't funny, every day I would see these vehicles being driven by lunatics with no care for the safety of their terrified passengers or the people or road users around them.

The state of these 'taxi's' was also a wonder to behold. I saw shifting spanners being used instead of steering wheels, exhaust systems held together with wire and gaffer tape and even yesterday I saw one of these old vehicles with crumpled sides making it's way up the road in a smokey, lop sided haze.

Toyota eventually came to the party and equipped taxi fleets with new vehicles and even initiated driver training programs. Well that was over ten years ago and now little seems to have changed.

In fact it's not just the 'Taxi's' we have to worry about anymore, it's the fact that South Africa is the only country in the world that has allowed its staple foods to be genetically modified (GM).

Now it's almost impossible to buy the South African Staple - Mealie Meal (Maize meal - like Grits only finer) without seeing in very small writing 'Maize is produced using Genetic Modification'.

I thought I had found the last commercially available untainted Maize Meal the other day - White Star, but after eating some with my friend Molly last week, I had another look and yet again in tiny tiny writing was the 'disclaimer'.

So those days of merrily picking up your favourite brand, be it Iwisa, Ace, or indeed now White Star and not worrying about the long term consequences to your health are now over. Even my favourite breakfast indulgence - Maltabella is also now GMO tainted.

I've been on a mission for a week now, to find a mealie meal that is not GMO. Well guess what, the only place that stocked a healthy brand was Woolworth's - South Africa's premium Grocery and Clothing Store. That is the only brand I found that didn't have that disclaimer on it...

Your average struggling African is not going to know about the health effects of eating Genetically Modified Corn or Wheat. And even if he or she did - would it occur to them to go into Woolworths and buy the more expensive maize meal there? Even just R5 for many people makes the difference between eating and not eating.

“GM foods are not consumed as a staple by millions of people every day except in South Africa,” said Zakiyya Ismail, Consumer Campaigner for the African Centre for Biosafety.

Most South Africans are eating GMO foods every day. Approximately 99% of Soya and 84% of Maize produced in SA are Genetically Modified. This generation of GMO crops have been designed to withstand herbicides that contain Glyphosate. In addition Glyphosate is found in every loaf of bread sold in supermarkets across the country. Glyphosate is a carcinogen.

“The majority of South Africans are not only eating GM maize without their knowledge and consent but have no choice or alternative whatsoever even if the products were correctly labelled. This is totally undemocratic and unacceptable. It smacks of outright food fascism” said Mariam Mayet, Director of the African Centre for Biosafety.

“We are outraged that South Africa – the only country in the world to permit the cultivation of genetically modified staple – continues to do so despite a large and growing body of scientific evidence pointing towards severe potential health risks of consuming GM crops, including maize,” she said.

I am first and foremost an artist, I paint, mosaic & am now playing with resins & clays. I love colour & mixing textures & media. I am an Architectural Designer and I think it's vital to talk about all aspects of Architecture - whether it be planning, construction, design or green building. I have written 3 E-Books & over 110 articles. Please feel free to let me know if you have any queries regarding architecture, planning & construction & I will assist you.

I am originally from the UK and moved to South Africa in 1999. I started Blue Designs in 2004 after working as a driver for Avalon Construction on a luxury home in the Featherbrook Estate.

Call Claire - 011 025 4458

[email protected]

https://www.bluedesigns.org/