Whether Blade can walk his talk matters more than his past
IWRITE at the risk of appearing ridiculous to some and being viewed as out of line by others. Be that as it may, I cannot help but wonder whether leadership positions are reserved primarily for those who were in the struggle for liberation of this country?
I ask this following the recent article by the EFF’s Floyd Shivambu entitled “Where was Blade Nzimande during the struggle against apartheid?”
For me the issue is, what is the overriding factor in politics, or in life more broadly – the past or the future?
And what if you did not participate in the past but have had a Damascene experience that convinces you of the right path? Must you ignore your moral convictions because you did not participate in the past?
I do not hold any brief for Blade Nzimande (nor any politician for that matter, except perhaps a few), but to me unless he was directly implicated in the atrocities of apartheid, I don’t think he should be overwhelmingly condemned because he was not too active in the past.
Yes, we can mention other factors such as Nzimande’s pronouncements on the EFF as being paranoid or motivated by fear of political competition or even describe him as suffering from ideological schizophrenia, but to place overwhelming emphasis on where Nzimade was in the past, I think is a bit unfair. Anyway there are people who were visibly famous in the struggle and who, as we witness today, are regressive in their behaviour.
So to me what matters most is what you believe now and whether you are true to your convictions. — Siviwe Kasi aka Svige, King William’s Town
Answer to prayers
THE recent arrests by the Hawks of suspected drug dealers in East London refers.
My sister is a professional person who has been deeply disappointed by her eldest son who is addicted to drugs. He has been hooked for the past 13 years.
He matriculated at 17 years old from a former Model C school in East London with a C aggregate and achieved an N6 diploma.
But he is not making a contribution to our society. To nurse his addictions he is stealing anything – from household items to jewellery – from his parents house.
He has been into rehab twice but all in vain because drugs have been so freely available on our streets.
My sister is a God-fearing person and have never stopped praying for a breakthrough in this matter. I do believe that God has indeed answered her prayers with the Hawks bust and with their investigation. I hope they will continue to investigate further and that more arrests are imminent! — Name supplied, East London
Criminals on beaches
I NOTICED that the cops were successful in busting some dagga dealers after a tipoff from the community. I was wondering how come they can’t catch criminals hiding out at our beaches – Gulu and Eastern – after tip-offs from the community. Please SAP, help us reclaim our beautiful beaches. — Name supplied, via e-mail
Rain? Seriously?
THE article “Hotel floor collapses in the rain” (DD July 30) refers. The collapse in the process of building begs a question: Who drew up the specification and how competent was the supervising of the work? There are serious questions about whether the rain had anything to do with this failure. — E Goldschagg, via e-mail
Time to clarify values
THE Daily Dispatch’s July 21 opinion and letter writers sampled what is wrong with South Africa today.
Songezo Zibi reviewed the sorry state of management at myriad state-owned enterprises, including Prasa, Eskom, SAA and Transnet. Mpumelelo Mkhabela rehearsed the shameful history of commissions, ostensibly established to investigate some major wrongdoing, only to be quietly rejected or confined when the delicate underbelly of the state was exposed.
Letter writers championed whistleblowers, wondered what drove leadership changes at Prasa, and pondered the cost of loadshedding.
Ask someone if they are happy with how the country is going these days, and the response is invariably a resounding “NO”.
It is clearly now time to clarify the values that should drive South Africa’s political dispensation – are we a country that prefers fairness or cronyism, freedom or corruption, opportunity or continued impoverishment. — Bill Gould, Southernwood
Empty promise alert
IT IS becoming clearer by the day that the ANC leadership is primarily interested in enrichment – for themselves, families and close friends.
Just take the Nkandla debacle, now the Premier of the Eastern Cape is playing down allegations of tender rigging, despite recorded evidence.
What do the voters get out of this government? Empty promises, and occasionally an RDP house, one so badly built that it becomes unsafe to live in.
I suppose we will have promises, promises and more promises as the 2016 municipal elections approach. Hopefully voters will see through these and not be misled or manipulated by the same old stories.
I hope the younger generation in particular, will have their eyes open and be alert to propaganda that is nothing but empty words. People need to vote as individuals, using their minds and with their eyes open or accept five more years of misrule. — Andre Swart, via e-mail
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