Arms and the men

I WOULDLIKE to convey my extreme appreciation for the very brave and erudite people that write to and for your newspaper from time to time.

These include Max du Preez, Terry Crawford-browne, Paul Hoffman. I know there are others – but these three are top of my list of favourite contributors to the Cape Times.

They all share some wonderful qualities. Clarity of thinking, courage of conviction, energy to publish their thoughts. Their articles resonate with reasoning and truth. I understand that it might be that I agree with what they are saying, but nonetheless I feel enormous gratitude for these brave men who undoubtedly make personal sacrifices to keep the light on issues that need focus and attention from all of us.

They are trying to combat the evil of corruption, and spread the necessary energy of communities working together.

We cannot succeed as a country until we are all operating from the premise of integrity, compassion, hard work and honesty. I was going to add accountability, but if the previous attributes are in place, accountability is a by-product, not a goal.

The arms deal needs to be totally exposed and unpacked. I don’t think many people have a clear understanding of the offsets, the bribes, the useless expensive arms, the cost to the taxpayers, the start of the rot in the government – but more than any of this, the cost to the poor that live in South Africa.

South African taxpayers will be paying for the arms acquisition deal for the next 30 years (unless it can be stopped). That money should be going to our people, primarily for education, but certainly not to the foreign governments that sell us these unnecessary weapons.

Crawford-browne has tried to share these facts. Ferrostaal in Germany is trying to engage with us and clear its slate, but too many people in high places will be exposed, so the issue is getting pushed under the carpet under the pretext that it is confidential.

One wonders how much we would have been able to read about this had the Secrecy Bill already been legislated.

It is time for all of us to move, and share, and be heard, and work together, and be the colourful, non-racial, honest society that we want to be. I do think we are the majority.