E d i t o r i a l A time fo r reflection and change I w o u ld lik e to in tr o d u c e m y s e lf to y o u , as the n e w e d ito r o f th is jo u r ­ nal. I am a p h y sio th e r a p ist, m other, gran d m oth er, sister, rela tio n and friend. A s a c lin ic ia n I h a v e a sp e c ia l in terest in d e v e lo p m e n ta l p a e d ia tr ic s and early in te rv e n tio n . A c a d e m ic a lly , I h a v e a P h D from the U n iv e r s ity o f the W itw atersran d . I retired from the C hair o f P h y sio th e r a p y at the W itw atersran d U n iv e r sity and H ead o f the P h y sio th e r a p y D e p a r tm en t at the J o h a n n esb u rg H o sp ita l at the end o f 1 9 9 6 . 1 h a v e for the past s e v e n y ea rs b e e n P resid en t o f the C o lle g e o f P h y sio th e r a p y and am at p resen t an H on orary L ectu rer in the P h y sio th e r a p y D ep artm en t at the U n iv e r s ity o f the W itw atersrand . It m ay w e ll be a c o in c id e n c e that at a tim e w h e n I w a s m u llin g o v e r w h at to s a y in the first e d ito ria l that I ripped o f f the c o v e r o f the A u g u s t e d itio n o f P h y sio F o r u m to find D e sm o n d T utu, ch airm an o f the T R C lo o k in g straigh t at m e. I w o n d e r e d w h eth er I had a c o n f e s ­ s io n to m ak e. I a sk ed the q u e s tio n s "Is m y sla te clean?" and "H ave I c o m m itte d an y crim es?" I c o n s id e r m y s e lf to be a h ig h ly m oral and e th ic a l p e r so n , n o n -ra c ist, n o n - s e x ­ ist and n o n -d isc r im in a to r y in e v e r y w ay. N e v e r th e le s s I had to ask m y s e lf the q u estio n : "W here w a s I du rin g the A p arth eid Era?" I w a s w o r k in g in the c iv il se r v ic e in s p e c ia l s c h o o ls , c lin ic s and h o s p ita ls. I m ust h a v e b een a w are o f the fact that th e se fa c ilit ie s w e re s e g r e ­ g ated and that I w a s se r v in g a sm all p r iv ile g e d gro u p o f ch ild re n . I m ust h a v e k n o w n that s o m e o f m y c o lle a g u e s w e re q u e u in g in the ea rly hours o f the M uriel Goodman m o r n in g to c a tch se g r e g a te d b u se s from w a y o u t to w n s h ip s in order to g e t to w ork w h ile I w a s still a sle e p . F or m e the in ju stic e o f it all w a s that m y pay c h e q u e r e c e iv e d at the en d o f e a ch m on th , a lb e it v e ry m o d e st, w a s m ore than that o f m an y o f m y c o lle a g u e s , w ith the sa m e q u a lific a tio n s p u ttin g in the sa m e am ou n t o f w ork. W h at rep aration s ca n I o ffe r in a spirit o f r e c o n c ilia tio n ? I w o u ld lik e to d e d i­ c a te m y s e lf to m a k in g th is jou rn al rep re­ se n ta tiv e o f all m e m b e r s o f the S A S P . I w o u ld lik e to reach out to p h y sio th e r a p y a ssista n ts and e n c o u r a g e them to w rite to u s and tell us w h at th e y d o , th in k and fe e l. A s part o f the A fr ic a n c o n tin e n t, 1 b e lie v e w e h a v e a u n iq u e c o n tr ib u tio n to m ak e to the p h y sio th e r a p y p r o fe ssio n w o r ld w id e . W h ile w e m ay not h a v e the a c a d e m ic and s c ie n tific e x p e r ie n c e o f the w e ste r n w o r ld , I th in k that w e are w e ll on the w a y to d e v e lo p in g prim ary h ealth s e r v ic e s w h ic h are lo w c o s t and e f fe c t iv e in r ea c h in g d isa d v a n ta g e d c o m m u n itie s . I w o u ld lik e to in v ite p h y sio th e r a p ists th rou gh ou t A fr ic a to p u b lish in our jo u r ­ nal and th ereb y sh are their in v a lu a b le h a n d s-o n e x p e r ie n c e . 1 w o u ld lik e to m a k e c o n ta c t w ith the m a n y S ou th A fr ica n p h y sio th e r a p y g r a d u a te s w h o h a v e left our c o u n tr y for w h a te v e r rea­ so n , and ask th em to p u b lish in our j o u r ­ n al and tell us w h e r e th e y are, w h at they are d o in g and h o w th e y are fe e lin g . I h o p e that our m a ilb o x w ill be o v e r ­ flo w in g w ith c o r r e s p o n d e n c e and in fo r ­ m a tio n r elevan t to p h y sio th e r a p ists in A fr ic a and the w o r ld at large. T h is jo u r n a l lik e an y p u b lic a tio n can o n ly be as g o o d as the input o f its read­ ers - in terest, input and fe e d b a c k b e in g the k e y to s u c c e s s . I urge y o u to m ak e y o u r s e lv e s heard th rou gh c o r r e s p o n ­ d e n c e b y m e a n s o f p u b lic a tio n s , c a se stu d ie s , in te r e stin g p e r so n a l e x p e r ie n c e , s u g g e s t io n s and fe e d b a c k on the r e le ­ v a n c e o f this jou rn al. T h e S o u t h A fr ic a n J o u r n a l o f P h y s io t h e r a p y is the o ffic ia l m o u th p ie c e o f the S A S P and h o p e fu lly w ill b e c o m e a fo r u m w h e r e w e can o p e n ly c h a lle n g e and e x c h a n g e id e a s. T h is m ust su re ly be the w a y to g r o w th and d e v e lo p m e n t! ^ 7 M u r ie l G o o d m a n - E d itor ADDRESS: South African Society of Physiotherapy, PO BOX 92125 Norwood 2117 Fax No: 788-5628 E-Mail Address: muriel@icon.co.za SA J o u r n a l o f Ph y s io t h e r a p y 1997 V o l 53 No 3 3 R ep ro du ce d by S ab in et G at ew ay u nd er li ce nc e gr an te d by th e P ub lis he r (d at ed 2 01 3. ) mailto:muriel@icon.co.za