POTHOLES, DECAY AND PLASTIC BAGS ARE EASTERN CAPE’S WELCOME SIGNS

Response to So many promises broken

Marianne Thamm’s article reminded me of the beauty of our country, spoiled sometimes by the ugliness of cadre deployment and the resultant lack of service delivery in most of the towns east of the Cape.

A group of us undertook a seven-day trip to witness the beauty of the flowers in late August. It was one breathtaking moment after another, the vastness of the Karoo and its delightful towns. The roads are well maintained with lines all freshly painted and the villages free of filth. It got even better as we entered the Western Cape!

From Van Rhynsdorp up to Springbok and then to Ceres and Riebeek Kasteel, nothing but service of the highest level – people eager to display the special nature of their towns. We were brought back to Earth as we travelled home via the Langkloof and were greeted by a dilapidated sign saying, “Welcome to the Eastern Cape”. No sign necessary as the plastic bags and potholes and overall decay reminded us that we were “back home”.

Trevor Collett