Readers’ Views
Hopes pinned on ‘Mr Fix-it’ to save South African Post Office
One wonders if the CEO of the South African Post Office, “Mr Fix-it” Mark Barnes, is making any headway in fixing the organisation. Because if he is, it should show on the ground in the various post offices.
When one visits most post offices in Pietermaritzburg, there are still many shortcomings — no airtime, keys for postboxes taking too long to arrive when ordered, long queues, a shortage of staff, demoralised staff, and so on.
With the grants poised to be distributed by post offices, will they really cope without employing unemployed matriculants and graduates who are hopelessly roaming the streets begging for work?
Post offices are the cheapest way of providing postal services, especially for the majority of disadvantaged black Africans.
Mr Fix-it, it may not be possible for you to personally visit all our post offices to monitor what’s happening on the ground, but surely you can mandate or hire foot soldiers to do the visiting and monitoring?
Our hopes are pinned on you to fix our once-efficient post office machinery. Faster!
Joseph B Gumbi, Pietermaritzburg
Thrilled with David Jones
Oh, dear . . . I have just read the letters regarding David Jones clothing, “‘Boring’ David Jones clothes are not what South Africans want” (Readers’ Views, February 4). Just when I thought I had found classic clothing that fits me!
OK — so I am a petite 73-year-old, but it was such a thrill to buy a neat pair of David Jones navy ankle slacks (size 8) which I didn’t have to shorten (for the first time in years).
My husband bought me some cute Bermuda shorts in an attractive peppermint-green colour for Christmas, and they are so comfortable when I walk with my walking group.
The David Jones range of dresses are ladylike — perhaps Woolworths should retain a section in its stores for the more mature person who wishes to look modern and smart and who sometimes battles to find suitable clothing.
Oh, yes, I also heard an excellent, popular male presenter on 702 admit that he liked the more traditional David Jones clothing. This cheered me up no end.
Helen Martin, Johannesburg
We don’t love living on the edge
With reference to Samantha Enslin-Payne’s column “We are in a state of limbo, but nobody’s dancing” (February 11), it’s nonsense that South Africans
“love living on the edge”.
We want a functioning government, like taxpayers in functioning democracies enjoy.
We seem to accept that lower standards apply because we’re in Africa.
How racist is that? Enough.
South Africans of all colours and from all walks of life must make it clear that we are sick of corruption — we want responsible, rational, ethical government, or we’ll vote you out, throw you in jail and find someone who can do the job.
Teresa W, on businesslive