The dilemma in reports about Malema

 Julius Malema's profile picture on his public Facebook profile

As a reporter it is "virtually impossible" to portray the character accurately of EFF party leader, Julius Malema, says Daily Maverick journalist Richard Poplak.

Yesterday Poplak spoke about the difficulties and the necessity of covering the 2014 election's "main protagonist" and his party, in a talk about political reporting at the University of Stellenbosch.

"I would say I would have an easier time direct calling Pope Francis than getting in touch with the spokesperson," the black bearded journalist joked.

Twenty-four journalist students, attentively listening to the bass-toned voice of the veteran journalist, giggled.

This following a question by one of the students, S'thembile Cele, on the largely negative lights in which mainstream media paint the EFF and their leader.

"Yes, a lot of the coverage has been dismissive. Yes, a lot of the coverage has been downright insulting, but I think it is a two way street.

According to Poplak the media cannot take blame "for a whole bunch of conclusions that seem very intuitive".

"Malema is a difficult character to cover. First of all, the EFF has done a bad job at sitting down with mainstream media.

"At press conferences he is great, but in terms of one-on-ones, where members of the press can get a sense of who Julius Malema is, most of the times that's happen for myself has been by fortunate accidents and I think that's on the EFF, certainly not on me. I've been trying to report this as best I can."

Amid Poplak's dialogue Cele interupts: "Is that not part of the game, in order for us to play into his hands? He is saying he is not white and that is how many black feel."

"For sure," Poplak declares. To many South Africans, including Malema, mainstream media is considered representative of white power, which provokes hostility.

"That said, once you do interact with the guy, you realise very quickly that he's just got a great political mind."

Malema is an "extremely compelling presence, unlike anyone I've seen ever"; "he has tapped into a very, very real need" of South Africans wanting to be heard and he speaks to the "taste of the times".

"If there's an take away from this election, it's how quickly and how profoundly the EFF came on the scene," says Poplak, who will be releasing a collection of his reports on the elections in a book titled When Malema comes.

"In terms of the fact that he's going to be a great politician that's going to bring us an utopian future where the whole country looks like downtown Stellenbosch? I can't tell you. The problem is I have no idea."

Diminutive chance of assault in Stellenbocsh

Despite the growing concerns over student safety on the Stellenbosch University campus, reported crime reflects a slim chance of being assaulted in the town of Stellenbosch. 

According to the reported crime figures of 2013, the likeliness of assault in this Boland town is less than 1%.

Although these assault statistics reveal the unlikeliness of assault in other towns housing well known universities, it is 0.4% points more likely to be assaulted in Potchefstroom, home to the North-West University, than in Stellenbosch.   

The following graph reveals how diminutive the number of assault cases are in town's housing large tertiary institutions such as Stellenbosch University, North-West University, Rhodes University and the University of Fort Hare.

Chance of assault per inhabitant

Stellenbosch: 0.9%

Potchefstroom: 1.3%

Rhodes: 0.4%

Alice: 0.3%

Following a series of assault on students, including the attempted abduction of student Ilze-Dene Oberholzer, on her way to a test earlier this year, students and parents have been up in arms over Stellenbosch campus security. 

The university issued a statement saying the institution would not "merely accept the escalating crime" and implementation a safe walking route initiative and organised student transport during the examination. 

15 Rugby teams of drug dealers arrested weekly in Gauteng

More than 15 rugby teams of people are arrested every week in drug related crimes, in the Gauteng province, according to a media statement released by Drug Watch, an anti-drug organisation.

The Drug Watch initiative has confiscated R4 million worth of drugs , since it's launch in June last year, almost equaling the salary of the president of the United States, Pres. Barack Obama. 

“The majority of these arrests were made following tip-offs from members of the public," says Gauteng police spokesman, Brigadier Neville Malila.

Head of Crime Line, Yusuf Abramjee explains that aid of the aid of the community to the police “make it uncomfortable for drug dealers and manufacturers to continue holding the public at ransom.”

Below is an info graphic displaying the weekly number drug related arrests made in Gauteng-areas, which will hamper illegal drug activity in the province. 

Propane leak possible cause of deadly blasts in Taiwan

Propane gas has been identified as the cause of the deadly gas explosions, in the city of Kaohsiung in Taiwan, which killed 24 and injured 271 has possibly been identified, reports ITV news.

#Taiwan's Premier Jiang Yi-huah says at least 5 explosions shook Kaohsiung; National Fire Agency says 5 firefigh... http://t.co/ZC7ruK52Hq
— 757Live World (@757LiveWorld) July 31, 2014

— 757Live World (@757LiveWorld) July 31, 2014 Propane gas leaking from underground pipelines may have caused the explosions, reports ITV news .

According to Breakingnews.ie the city's mayor Chen Chu asked residents of the Chian-Chen district , where petrochemical companies have pipelines lined next to the sewage system, to evacuate the area. 

Breakingnews.ie also reported that the fire brigade received reports of the leaking gas for more than three hours before the explosions started at midnight. 

The series of explosions cut the power and caused 20 000 residents to plunge into darkness, reported CCTV.