Coalition Trust could avoid train smash ahead

A new entity in South African current affairs is urgently needed. Its role would be to initiate and facilitate coalition governments at all levels.

Coalition (power-sharing) government has proved to be a workable solution for SA and better than anything before it. It has also provided a successful counter to ANC corruption and its abysmal levels of governance.

Power-sharing government needs to be promoted, as a matter of urgency, directly to the electorate as the way to better governance and accountability, and the only way to avoid the ANC-created economic train smash ahead.

For SA, coalition government has increasingly become an existential issue. As a result, the setting up of an apolitical, independent body — let’s call it Coalition (SA) Trust — has become urgent and critical. Its purpose should be to present an invitation to all political parties in the form of an open letter, then to convene a meeting of interested parties to hammer out the word and spirit of a declaration of intent to which each party would affirm.

Coalition (SA) Trust will attract erudite and patriotic people ready to contribute however they are able, including, hopefully, those doyens of coalition politics, Helen Zille and Patricia de Lille (having disavowed all links to party politics) who are, in reality, patriots first — aren’t they the most suitable people to assist with setting up the trust and helping drive it?

In the case of the funds which are essential for its existence, the trust will undoubtedly receive willing donations from a multitude of South Africans, be they individuals, foundations, corporates.

The time is now and time is short. Forward, SA!

Sandy Johnston, Nelson Mandela Bay

Sad example of the Peter Principle

While reading the article about the tragic death of Professor Bongani Mayosi, the contents of the book The Peter Principle: Why Things Always Go Wrong, by Dr Laurence J Peter and Raymond Hull, came to mind.

This little book, published in 1969, explains that people who are highly competent in a particular field may end up getting promoted to where they should not be, in a field of work that does not hold their passion.

Mayosi’s strong point was working as a researcher to come up with solutions for the health problems of the poor. He probably was a competent administrator as dean of the faculty of health sciences at the University of Cape Town (UCT), but what he should have been allowed to do by UCT was to resign from that post, as he requested eight months ago, to get back to what he loved most: to find new solutions to health problems.

By forcing him to stay in the place where he had been hurt most, the university made a tragic mistake. Yes, it makes for higher standing of the university to have a highly qualified professor at the helm of the faculty, but it makes more sense to allow people to do what they do best. His suicide seems to have been a lastresort solution to get away from where he no longer wanted to be.

Anne Marie Smith, Pretoria

Depression no different to diabetes

I, too, am deeply saddened by the terrible loss of Dr Bongani Mayosi, but am getting more and more depressed by the coverage.

I have suffered from depression for many years, and probably know a lot about it from all the different perspectives, but people keep going on about “mental illness and the shame of mentioning it”. I do not feel that people need to feel like that, as being a long-term depressive is no different from being a diabetic who takes medication every day.

This type of coverage only makes people feel worse, as in many cases it could be traumatic — due to divorce, loss of a loved one, and so on. This isn’t mental illness and may not last forever.

My heart breaks for his family, as mine still does for my wonderful husband who I lost the same way more than 40 years ago. Pat Charad, Bryanston

De Lille farce must end swiftly

What is happening in the DA with regard to its Cape Town mayor, Patricia de Lille, is interesting. For the past 10 months there have been counter-accusations between them and it was tiring to listen to them.

The DA and De Lille have announced that she will be stepping down as mayor in October and possibly resign as a member of the party. But what does this mean? Is she going to stay on as a member if the outcome of the council’s investigation doesn’t favour her?

These two parties have wasted our time on this case. De Lille herself is more like a sheep in wolf’s clothing. She threatened to fight the DA to the bitter end; what has changed now, because she has dismissed the rumours that she has been promised greener pastures in the national and provincial legislatures?

This matter must come to an end soon or the people will deal with the DA harshly in next year’s election if it continues clowning with us.

Tom Mhlanga, Braamfontein

You picked the wrong mampara

I regard the Sunday Times as the flame of South African liberal values, both pre- and post-1994. The labelling of Nelson Chamisa as “Mampara of the week” and, by implication, praise for the man who cheated to win and ordered the tanks onto the streets, caused that flame to flicker.

I also found the article by David Monyae praising the shrewd election savvy of Zanu-PF and Mnangagwa nauseating. Simon Kirk, East London