YOUR CHIRPS

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SMSes are billed at R1 per 160 characters, the maximum number of characters that can be accepted. Free SMSes do not apply and errors will be billed. Please supply your name. WRITING ON THE WALL FROM START

“‘CRACKS show in metro coalition” (January 11)! The writing was on the wall right from the start. Athol Trollip and his DA councillors think that they own NMBM and that the coalition partners must just fill the seats at council meetings. A MYBURGH, CENTRAL, PORT ELIZABETH

ALSO GIVE RISE OR FALL IN DAM LEVELS

THANK you for publishing the levels of the dams supplying the Bay. A request: can you show a plus or minus since the previous figure published? It will save me calculating each time and having a fridge door full of cuttings! C J, MILL PARK, PORT ELIZABETH

TIME TO BAN FIREWORKS

“CHILD, 12, victim of fireworks horror” (January 10): what is wrong with the human race? How can some people behave in such an inhumane way? I hope Shane Witbooi recovers well. I hope that his abusers get what they deserve. Please ban fireworks. Their dangers far outweigh the few oohs and aahs of pleasure. CAROL

TIME to ban fireworks totally.

READER “CHILD, 12, victim of fireworks horror” (January 10): now let this be a start to banning the horrible fireworks before another child is hurt! SARAH

HOPE THIS NOT TRUE

“GOVERNMENT in clash over fuel plan” (January 11): I hope this is an early April Fools’ Day joke! Here comes junk status. Start saving more! MARK

TOTAL STUPIDITY

I WATCHED a woman, on Tuesday morning, driving down Centenary Road, Lorraine, with a cigarette in her left hand and her right hand holding a cellphone to her ear. Somewhere in between there was a steering wheel . . . I wished I could have done a citizen’s arrest for total stupidity. GLYNN

THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROSITY

TO the very kind person who paid for our meal at Sacramento restaurant, Schoenies, on Saturday January 7, a huge thank you for your generosity. SUE

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN COURT CASE?

HAS anything further happened about the long outstanding matter of the Sizani court case? Going on for nearly four years now and it keeps being postponed. Surely Pankie Sizani should be prosecuted for gross fraud of creating ghost teachers? CURIOUS THE fraud case against Portia “Pankie” Sizani was postponed in November to July 31. – The editor

LEAK FILLS OUR POOLS

THANKS to the metro, I and my neighbour now have full swimming pools due to a water leak higher up our street. The leak was reported a month ago with no reaction. (The metro says turnaround time is five days, ha, ha). SUTHERLAND ROAD, UITENHAGE, RESIDENT

MUCH TO READ

THE Herald and its readers have given us so much excitement, but heartbreak too since the beginning of this year. I would like to respond to a few remarks, if I may. Gillian Smale (“Making money from inept billing system”, January 4), check how much VAT Telkom charges and think about it carrying over cents.

Birdy (“Collect rain to be used to fill pools”, January 9), I read your letter with bated breath to find out how I could obtain inexpensive tanks. Where do I look?

Greg Botha (“Metro charges equals theft from us”, January 10), well said. My deepest sympathy.

Birdy (“Bring back good rail system”, January 10): oh, how I dream to be on a train going nowhere slowly. Prasa, do you hear our plea?

Then the horror of what was done to Shane Witbooi (“Child, 12, victim of fireworks horror”, January 10) and Clint Morris (“Maggots shock for PE hospital patient”, January 4). The people involved are not human. They should be made to suffer as they made their victims suffer. Shame on you. Our best wishes to Shane and Clint. R B, FOREST HILL, PORT ELIZABETH

PLUMBER CHARGES LESS

FOR plumbing problems and blocked drainage, call a private plumber. Charged R400 to clear a drain, while our municipality charges R1 320. Shocking! JEN, SUNRIDGE PARK, PORT ELIZABETH

WHAT PROSPECTS FOR WHITES?

SO another five white cricket players have left the country, this besides the numerous white rugby players in overseas teams. I wonder what this says about affirmative action, BEE and sporting quotas, let alone the prospects of the white South Africa population. AVC, UITENHAGE

REPLIES TO READERS’ COMMENTS

TO A Myburgh and D R Galloway, I want to add “and fools seldom differ” to the Myburgh chirp yesterday, “only great minds think alike” (“Replies to readers’ comments). CITIZEN

“PARTIALLY filled bags a waste” (January 9): exactly! Look along Beach Road at the old Apple Express station, look along Alister Miller Drive on the way to the airport – same story, same wastage, a nearly-empty blue bag every 5m. What a waste. R VACZI, HUMEWOOD, PORT ELIZABETH