Don’t manipulate history
IN his letter “Lest we forget the past” (DD June 14) Mthobeli Balfour asks that the history of Hintsa , Makana, Mlanjeni and Maqoma be taught. But I can’t help wondering why he confines himself to such a narrow chapter of the history of the Xhosa people. Should the story of how they left their ancestral lands in Central Africa and journeyed to what is now the Eastern Province, where they dispossessed the Khoi of their lands, not also be taught. I ask this, Mthobeli, as one settler to another.
History is fascinating, but, unfortunately, it is too all too often manipulated, distorted and debased, so that pupils are, in the words of Bob Dylan, “taught how to hate, so they never think straight”. — Derrick Fellows, Port Alfred
EMS deserve better
THE DA is deeply disturbed to read (Daily Dispatch: 14/06/18) that paramedics and EMS staff are suffering and unprotected.
Our paramedics and EMS staff suffer, firstly because they are not safe at work and, secondly, because they are not accompanied by security guards despite the dangerous nature of their work.
Complaints from EMS staff include delays in the payment of overtime work and dangerous working conditions.
The DA therefore pleads with the Department of Health to boost EMS working conditions including staff security, reliable and timeous payment of salaries and an improvement in the dangerous working conditions by escorting staff who save lives in hostile, volatile environments. — Celeste Barker, via e-mail
Service delivery protest
I AM a Buffalo Flats Resident for over 30 years. I also have been staying in a back room with my wife and kids. I have also tried signing the register for houses, but to no avail.
Since the dawn of democracy, I have received nothing from this government – instead they have taken more money from me.
I am a loyal citizen of this country, I pay my taxes and keep to the law, but that has not brought me any benefits.
My letter is not about who got what and what the government has done – or has not done.
My letter is about us hardworking people, who want to give our kids an education and put food on the table, who are held ransom by striking citizens.
All I want is to be able to drive to work in the morning, and return home and mind my own business. I feel my neighbours’ pain and suffering, but I think it is selfish to punish innocent people for the ward councillors’ mistakes and flaws of the leading parties.
My plea to the Khoi San people is to please remember, you are breaking down our beautiful neighbourhood. There is already so much poverty, why do this to us?
Remember that all this burning is busy killing our kids, because asthma is on the rise, and you as the parent will be the only one sitting with your kids at the hospital. So please I beg you, let’s take this fight to the right party and people. — Chris Sampson, via e-mail
Embrace the change
THE front page remark in the DD June 13: “We hear you so we are making some changes”, shows the sincerity by the newspaper in hoping to increase interest in its circulation.
However everyone has to realise that changes haven’t only taken place in South Africa, technology has conquered the world. These days the click of a button sends a colour picture to anywhere in the world within seconds, where television stations broadcast them immediately. We also have a new generation of people in the world who use the cell phone all day, every day. Also one of many changes that has taken place is that people of this era are prepared to spend thousands of rand on burials and not marriages, as in the past.
Although modern in some ways, many people still want to stick to how they were ruled in the past, while modern methods are in progress. We hope however that the Dispatch has done its homework and that their endeavours will show results.