Readers’Views

Horrified at the dismal choice of clothing in SA

I read with interest in “One makeover too many for ailing Edcon” (March 18) of Edcon’s financial woes and have to say I am not surprised.

Having lived in Singapore and Bangkok for 15 years until last year, with frequent trips back to South Africa, I was horrified at the lack of choice in clothing that South

Africans have.

The colours are boring, and the styles are unflattering and so similar.

I often wondered who the buyers were and if they would ever be seen dead in the fashions that they purchased and were foisting on the public.

Now that I am living in South Africa again, am I going to be one of an army of women who all look similar and dress in clothing that is really unflattering?

Edcon should have seen the light a long time ago and understood why people are going online to shop from other brands or the foreign brands that are setting up shop here.

Joan D’Arcy, Shelly Beach

Land: get it over with now

Andile Khumalo, the main economic issue around “Land debate the first of many we need to save SA” (March 11) is that the debate will delay the decision and the action.

If the government of the day took what is to be taken as a one-off and implemented the policy (any policy) quick and hard with no changes thereafter, then the long-term effects would be minimal. But the political solution is to use this as leverage for as long as necessary to remain in power, upping the ante only when the voting pool requires it.

Like the recent Mining Charter’s disdain for the “once empowered” theory, changes to ownership over time will have dire economic consequences.

Investors and individuals can deal with loss — they dislike uncertainty.

The ANC can’t agree on anything, so economic uncertainty will be with us for the foreseeable future.

Property ownership is the cornerstone of all successful economies.

Dermot Quinn, on Businesslive