Lion slaughter a disgrace to hunting

‘LET’S put the lid on wild tales of canned hunting” (May 31) refers. How anyone can use the term “hunting” in connection with the shooting of canned lions in South Africa is beyond me.

We are talking about the killing of tame, farm-bred animals that never lived a natural life or were given a chance to breed and feed the natural way. That is why it is so different from most game farming in South Africa, which has been very beneficial to many rare species of antelope, released into suitable habitats after years of protection.

The lion industry is another matter — it is a money-making venture that has never been of any benefit to the wild population of lions in South Africa. Apart from a few token “populations” to create some sort of alibi, nearly all trophy lions are taken directly from their cages and killed by either very naive hunters, or hunters with no self-respect.

The failure by the authorities and professional organisations such as the Professional Hunters Association of South Africa to stop this unethical practice has severely damaged the reputation of our hunting industry, and the attempt by the association, and now also the honourable Minister Edna Molewa, to rename these hapless creatures “captive-bred lions” is, to put it politely, extremely naive.

Most importantly, the renaming has been met with disbelief by many overseas hunting organisations. The European hunting union CIC and the Nordic Safari Club in Scandinavia have distanced themselves from the shooting of lions in South Africa, and some ban South African hunting outfitters from marketing their special brand of “lion hunting” at hunting shows in their countries.

Hunters who still travel to South Africa to participate in the shooting of canned lions are increasingly becoming ridiculed by ethical hunters.

Even in the US, with import regulations on the horizon, and many airlines refusing to transport CITES trophies on their aircraft, the party could soon be over.

I’ve been a hunting outfitter for 35 years, and I am truly saddened to experience how those colleagues have lowered the ethical limits of hunting in South Africa. — A concerned hunting outfitter, by e-mail

Nkandla: you had one job

“‘ZUMA must pay up or go to court’ ” (May 31) refers.

The Nhleko report on Nkandlagate is a serious indictment of the principle of constitutional democracy and, more importantly, of the accountability of members of the cabinet.

The report undermines the office of the public protector, who is empowered by the constitution to investigate any misconduct in public or state affairs and to take appropriate remedial action. With regard to Nkandlagate, the public protector has made a very clear determination that the president must pay for the non-security items as part of the remedial action.

The ministers of police and of finance were required to apportion the value of non-security items and thus advise the president on the figure he is supposed to pay, and not to review the remedial action and report of the public protector. The minister failed to do the simple task of calculating how much the president should pay.

Nhleko’s report has no constitutional standing. It is shoddy work, from conception to the dramatisation through videos.

Come on, minister, I know you can do better. Instead of choosing to safeguard public resources, you have chosen to please the president at the expense of our constitution and public finances. Both the president and the minister have a constitutional obligation to account to the members of the public for their conduct.— Motsomi Maubane, by e-mail

If it looks like a chicken . . .

IF those with political power tell us apples grow on mango trees, we are expected to accept it as the truth! Only a fool thinks that the majority of our citizens are stupid. You can cook a chicken any way you want, but it will still be chicken. — Logan Govender, Verulam

We needed that World Cup

“SEPPTIC Blatter: world sport’s most toxic figure” (May 31) refers.

We, the people of South Africa, needed that Soccer World Cup. Not so much to host it as to make ourselves feel good after apartheid’s mauling. If we had to bribe for it, so be it.

Are we to blame if there are people out there who see an opportunity to benefit financially from the suffering of others? In fact, we must work our way to Sepp Blatter’s seat and when we get there, change the game by rejecting corruption.

The people complaining are the rich who just want those games to begin and end with them. We, the third world countries, are supposed to always offer them our unquestioning support for their convenience.

That expectation is corrupt, but likely they do not see it that way because they are not used to being criticised. We need to remind them: do not make our poverty your soccer field. Do you remember how we got poor? — Zama Fatman, by SMS

Take football over fire pools

TEN million dollars was about R75-million then, and at least we had a good time from it. There were infrastructure spin-offs as well.

The thrice more spent on Nkandla has resulted in nothing outside that sphere of influence. — AJL, Cape Town

Moved to tears by Verwoerd

AS a Jewish female South African in my 70s, I was moved to tears after reading the context of Wilhelm Verwoerd’s speech at the removal of the Hendrik Verwoerd plaque at Stellenbosch University in “Letting go of Verwoerd, again” (May 31).

The deep dilemmas he confronted in coming to acknowledge and recognise the “heartbeat of pain” behind the anger of black citizens, and his intention to remain “committed to sincere, humble, patient cross-border relational journeying” struck a chord for me.

Cross-border journeying, with all the risks it involves of rejection, of a renewed sense of otherness in a transforming South Africa, is our only hope of feeling relevant.

Thank you, Wilhelm. — Robin Broide, Ramsgate

Honest and heartfelt speech

THIS seems to be a genuine and honest speech, different from all that liberal drivel that led our people astray. Bakgat Wilhelm, you can’t be blamed forever for being a Verwoerd. People related to King Shaka cannot be blamed for the difaqane. — Gab Taukobong, Ga-Rankuwa

Build not upon the sand

RE “Shifting sands eat up Oyster Bay” (May 31): Why were homes allowed to be built there in the first place? You can’t fight nature. — F van Vuuren, by SMS

All for the sake of a dune

AN equally horrific scene of official indifference is being played out with what used to be one of Port Elizabeth’s most popular bathing beaches, Sardinia Bay.

This beach has been used since at least the ’40s and access was via a tarred road. In 2008, dune movement began choking the road. The Nelson Mandela Bay municipality did nothing to remove the sand, saying it would not interfere with a mobile dune for two reasons: Sardinia Bay is a protected area and natural processes should be prioritised, and the metro does not have sufficient budget to allocate resources to unsustainable activities. It said it was working towards providing alternative access.

It is disheartening to live in a country and province where it is fine to build a nuclear power plant in a pristine area (Thyspunt) and to sculpt an entire coastline for a harbour (Coega), but a shifting sand dune obstructing a proclaimed road at Sardinia Bay has precedence over the recreational needs of an entire seaside community. — Mike Klee, Port Elizabeth

Elon Musk built by adversity

“HOW a bullied boy became a man who can change the world” (May 31) made for interesting, if sad, reading.

No wonder Elon Musk plotted his escape to the US. Would he be who he is today without the trauma of youth? Definitely not.

Would he have pursued his goal (not dream) to get out of South Africa if he was happy? Definitely not.

Strength of character and determination are only built up by extreme adversity. — Vivienne Lloyd, by e-mail

Kowtowing before a king

“XHOSA king demands to be treated like (Zulu) royalty” (May 24) refers. I am one of the Zulus opposed to a monarchical system of governance. It favours only the so-called royal family at the expense of hoi polloi.

For ever and ever I have to kowtow before the king . . . never will I become one, even if I get a chain of degrees. Democracy, with its obvious limitations, remains far better. — Bonginkosi, Ixopo

Banishment for mamparas

IT is a great pity that all the mamparas named by Hogarth cannot be banished for all time to what he or she calls soggy Mamparadom (May 24). — Peter Denton, Springs

Dogs’ healing touch?

“DOGS and donkeys called to heal trauma” (May 31) refers.

Last week, my wife and I attended a seniors tea at the Bryanston Methodist Church. The organisers invited two ladies from an organisation called Paw, which has trained dogs to visit hospitals, old-age homes, schools et cetera, and they had two of their dogs with them.

I suffer with the nerves of my left leg following a knee operation.

One of the German shepherds licked my damaged leg. Then the other did so, too. My leg has started, after eight months of almost no improvement, to show signs of improvement. Now explain that. — Ron Hammon, by e-mail