Anger over 'sex questionnaire'
2002-04-21 14:26
Johannesburg - South Africa's secret service has caused a public outcry by
asking top journalists about their sex lives as a prerequisite for
being listed among the presidential press corps.
Members of the press corps receive an accreditation and
privileged access to the president.
The questionnaire to be filled out by future members of the
corps, according to the Sunday Independent, wants to know among
other things whether the applicant would accept sex in exchange for
information.
Applicants must present bank statements and furnish the names of
men and women colleagues willing to testify about their sex lives.
Further questions cover an applicant's past sex partners, the
state of his or her marriage for married applicants, and questions
on sex with partners of the same sex and possible psychological
treatment.
A spokesperson for the government ministry in charge of the
secret service questionnaire for the press corps said: "On the
surface it seems quite offensive, but you've got to understand the
reason is to test people during that phase, and then ask the same
questions when they are being polygraphed."
"If you don't want to answer the questions you don't have to,
but it will affect the outcome," said the ministry's spokesperson
Lorna Daniels. - Sapa-DPA
- SAPA