Lofty tertiary roof on weak educational foundations

In response to your editorial, “Do not raise false hopes among youth desperate for a proper education” (January 7), I do not understand why, when the foundation phase (especially the first seven years) is the most important in the development of any child/person, the government has not prioritised this instead of university education for those who often have few job prospects under prevailing circumstances.

Had the government done this in 1994 we would now be reaping great benefits and exporting knowledgeable and wellbalanced young people to high-profile jobs worldwide.

Many poor parents have to work long hours far from home and leave their children in ill-equipped childcare establishments that are just not the same as well-equipped pre-schools. Those parents who do not work and attempt to pre-educate their children themselves are also not always properly equipped for this very important job.

Prioritising university education is like putting an expensive roof on a house that has a weak foundation. A wise person would set about building a new house with a proper foundation: in our instance proper pre-school facilities and teachers, particularly in poor and rural areas.

Naadir Hodgson, Retreat

Threshold for free education unfair

President Zuma’s decision to introduce free education should be welcomed, but the problem, in my view, lies in the fact that only families with a combined income of R350 000 or less will qualify.

Surely this is unfair to the family that earns just a little above this threshold, meaning they have to fork out tens of thousand of rands to pay for food, accommodation, books and tuition for their aspiring offspring?

It would be interesting to know how many people will ask their employers for a decrease in their salaries, to fall within the limits that have been set. There must be ways to introduce this system more fairly by staggering the subsidies according to the income of the families that are affected. Carl Hammersen, Westville

Zuma has run out of moves . . .

President Jacob Zuma finally appointed the judicial commission of inquiry into state capture, on the eve of the new ANC national executive committee’s meeting.

This came after his long reluctance to do so despite many calls from the public, opposition parties and alliance partners. He did not want to bow to them. He wanted them to know that he is in charge.

Now he can see that the tables have turned. His faction did not win at the 54th conference of the ANC and he doesn’t want anyone to appoint this commission except him. He also does not want to give the new NEC more reasons to recall him.

Clearly the chess master has no more moves to play. He is not as powerful as he was before and now there is a new sheriff in town by the name of Cyril Ramaphosa.

Zuma has to comply. Let us hope that this commission will conclude its job speedily. We are tired of singing the same song on this matter.

Tom Mhlanga, Braamfontein

. . . but he’s still a wily manipulator

World chess masters Bobby Fischer, Boris Spassky and Garry Kasparov would have folded against Zuma. His never-ending court appeals, his “free fees” and his master stroke, the announcement of a commission of inquiry into state capture.

The terms of reference will take time, there will be court case upon court case and then further appeals.

Public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane has come to his aid by adding more timewasting into the mix by suggesting the inquiry broaden its scope. All this means more time for the Zuma/Gupta clans to feather their nests even further and to make sure their gains disappear.

Theo Roelofsz, Marble Hall

Gwede’s misguided defence

Comrade Gwede Mantashe cannot tell anybody to “stop abusing Zuma’s name” [as he did at the grave of OR Tambo last Friday].

Mantashe is part of the arrogance that is plaguing the ANC. He is the chairperson of our movement and he must not drag the ANC into the mud. When he defends

Zuma, he is not taking the higher moral ground. He is not defending the ANC.

Thebe Moroe, Bloemfontein

Commissions to end corruption

Apparently the Zimbabwe AntiCorruption Commission is looking into corrupt activities of the ministers and allies of former [President Robert] Mugabe. One has to question what work it did while Mugabe was in power.

They clearly never had the balls to investigate such things while the king of corruption ruled. Were they getting paid a handsome monthly salary for turning a blind eye to corrupt activities?

Surely anti-corruption bodies need to have more teeth, power and authority? Power over and above any head of state. Had that been in place, our very own Zuptas would have been investigated and nailed years ago.

Derek Krummeck, Umhlanga

Eagle eye

Am I going mad, or was there no mention of Saturday’s L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate winner? Lots of pictures of the belles and beaux at the event itself, but about Legal Eagle and rider Anton Marcus there was nix. Was it because the horse’s former owner is Steinhoff’s disgraced Markus Jooste [who sold Legal Eagle in December to Braam van Huyssteen, William Henderson and Hedley McGrath] or is it because the race is run in the Cape?

Lucille Byrnes, Rosebank