Post election Codesa is key
OPPOSITION parties must convene and provide SA voters soonest with a Declaration of Intent (DoI) that, should they comprise a majority at 2019 election, they will give effect to a Codesa-type summit that will change our constitution to ensure that: never again will a president be able to control sitting MPs to the extent that ours becomes a “lock up and go” parliament; never again will a president be able to loot SOE’s or bullet-proof him or herself against prosecution as happened via surrogate appointees.
We must thank our media for unstinting work in exposing the Guptas, who were abetted at every turn by President Jacob Zuma. People realised only recently the extent to which surrogates were hand-picked by the Guptas.
Parties to the DoI must pledge to prosecute perpetrators of “state capture” and its ghastly tapestry of corruption.
It’s common cause that the Guptas have subverted our government and criminally exploited South African resources. They must be tried, in person or in absentia, and judgement handed down. The South African people should accept nothing less.
Ours is a damaged democracy, we need to repair the now obvious flaws before it is too late. A post-election Codesa represents the only realistic way of doing this. — Sandy Johnston, via e-mail
How is it fair that budgets are cut for Child Welfare and other vital organisations that provide for mentally, physically challenged and abandoned people in all age groups.
Our corrupt government has failed the elderly, the evidence is the number of old age homes that have closed over the years through lack of funds. The monthly pay-outs of pensions almost collapsed do to political mismanagement. Now funding has been slashed to organisations already hard pressed yet which are providing muchneeded assistance to the less fortunate and challenged citizens in our land.
This elicits revulsion for a system in which huge sums of tax money are misspent annually on unnecessary conferences, unjustified bonuses, luxury vehicles, travel escapades and the maintenance of a bloated non-performing structure of corrupt people! The reduced budgets for proven welfare NPOs will bring hardship to many.
Recently the Dispatch exposed the plight of animals in our zoo. Mahatma Gandhi stated: ” The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”
If our government turns its back on its animals and shows contempt for its vulnerable citizens then, as the Bible says, the writing is on the wall!
To the powerful, connected officials, your windows are dirty, you need to clean them! — Trevor Watson, Gonubie