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SONA SHAMBLES

THE refusal by speaker Baleka Mbete to consider a motion by the DA to observe a minute’s silence at Sona, to mark the deaths of the 94 Gauteng health patients who were cast out to die, will come back to haunt her and the ANC. How callous can you be? This is manna from heaven for the opposition. IAN

THE Sona debacle on Thursday evening was clear evidence of just how far the ANC has deteriorated in its futile attempt to protect Jacob Zuma. DAVEY CROCKETT

WHAT an interesting, gripping and entertaining Sona on Thursday. I watched for an hour and a half until the opposition parties walked out. I then switched off and I assume millions of South Africans were with me. No one wants to listen to an illegitimate fool who has betrayed the constitution of the country. SIENER

JACOB Zuma should have delivered the Sona from his office. He just wastes taxpayers’ money and wastes everybody’s time with a meaningless speech. SVH

SONA: oh what a circus, oh what a show! Not one, but two “honourable” ringmasters, political acrobats and one laughing clown! Sad, sad. Cry our beloved country! STAN

CABLES RUN ACROSS ROAD

HAS anybody seen the illegal electrical cables running over Community Street in Walmer? Can’t believe our new municipal management haven’t seen it! PETER L

NEED SPECIALISED DRUG UNITS

THE northern areas gangs revolve around the drug trade. The drug trade leads to all other types of crimes, violent crimes such as murder and robbery, also car theft, petty crimes and prostitution by users to feed their self-destructive habits.

Of late they are seen more often in Central fraternising with the foreigners and it doesn’t take much to come to a conclusion that something is going on, like supplying the drug traders. With all the crime issues plaguing our city and drugs at the root of it all, it boggles the mind that there are not specialised drug units to deal with the problem. OBSERVER

NEED HELP WITH GRANT DEDUCTIONS

CAN the chief executive of Sassa please help? The grant is always short, as from December 2015. I tried to get help, now I don’t know what to do. NOMONDE GALADA

VIOLENCE ON RISE IN HELENVALE

ATHOL Trollip, since you were elected mayor violence in Helenvale has escalated. Not a day goes by that we read in the paper about people being shot. You promised in your election campaign that you would curb violence. When are you going to do something about it? RK

REPLIES TO READERS’ COMMENTS

T S’s SMS published on February 7 (“Replies to readers’ comments”): it’s a pity the DA didn’t do its job as opposition watchdogs while the ANC was making this mess since 1994, even prior to Danny Jordaan’s tenure. Like ostriches with their head in the sand or Rip van Winkels. MIKE

I AM appealing to The Herald readers to ignore D R Galloway. It is a waste of time to engage him. Please do not give him the impression that his opinions are valued. LEON DE VILLIERS

WHY does The Herald keep on publishing D R Galloway’s sycophantic, racist drivel? HANNES VAN NIEKERK, PORT ELIZABETH

INVESTIGATIVE journalism: I am wondering if the DA has a dirty tricks war room? If so, is it possible it employs D R Galloway to use ANC jargon to drive ANC supporters to the DA? MONGREL

MARION Harning’s letter regarding the Hobie Beach clubhouse (“Provide a clubhouse”, February 6) might be more readable if she used everyday words and not “intractable”, which many of us had to look up in a dictionary. BILL

I HAVE done both The Herald crosswords for more than 40 years and cannot recall any complaints about their having a Christmas theme in February before. What is the problem (“Christmas in February”, February 7)? Differing themes occur frequently and are sometimes out of date. This does not make them less enjoyable. Now, after one complaint, the Christmas theme will be discontinued. This seems pointless. Please, no unnecessary changes. B WOODHEAD

TO Puzzler, does it make any difference? It was an enjoyable puzzle. MALCOLM C

PLEASE don’t skip the Christmas crosswords! So what if they’re published after the occasion! They don’t have an expiry date. LYNN MURRAY

JUST because Puzzler queries the Christmas crosswords, you’re going to skip them! Why? It is still a crossword puzzle. Just asking. XWORD ADDICT

Your Christmas wishes are granted. – The editor

GET RID OF DRUNKEN BEGGAR

CAN no one rid us of this drunken beggar, the Raleigh and Irvine streets’ “car guard”? DAVE AND BRUNO