BackChatters bemoan home invasions, murder of father
Politics
The ANC believes the US is plotting a regime change in South Africa. Actually, Zuma and his cronies in the ANC have done an excellent job of alienating the thinking electorate. Daily reports of massive corruption, interfering with the judiciary, diverting taxpayers’ money for personal and party uses and incompetence are a few of the countless complaints the voters have against the ANC. The country may be reduced to junk status soon. The ANC must take responsibility for its own failures.
Zuma claimes that he knows Van Rooyen was qualified to be a finance minister. How does he arrive at that when he can’t read properly? Mthakathi.
Zuma defends his decision to appoint Van Rooyen as minister of finance. “Imagine if I took someone who looks after cattle in Nkandla and made him minister of energy”, were his words, with a guffaw afterwards. That’s exactly what we did, except we made him president – and look where that got us. Guffaw. Colin.
Zuma again. This guy now defends the appointment of Van Rooyen. Let’s teach him a lesson by swelling the opposition numbers. Democrat.
Mzansi, stop taking Jacob Zuma seriously on matters of Van Rooyen, a three-day minister of finance. He will stop commenting on his flop the day Jeremy Gauntlett tells him how he became a big fool among fools by appointing this man. He abused his prerogative to appoint ministers who are willing to enjoy a second plate from Guptas. Nhlanhla Nene and Pravin Gordhan did not want to be accountable to this family. Kakhulu Ntshontsha. Emalahleni.
Zuma defends his choice of Van Rooyen. My advice to Zuma is, if you are already in a deep hole, stop digging. Mike.
Can we remember America in the roaring 20s? When booze was prohibited they were called the “prohibition days”. We urgently need to prohibit Zuma from opening his mouth; he is a total embarrassment when he makes statements like “Van Rooyen, the wizard we never had”. Like Zuma, he couldn’t run a tuck shop.
Never mind Quattro, and you will never agree with me and you know why. Roy Naicker.
Shabier G. It is too late for Zuma to be remembered for any good deeds he may do, which is highly unlikely anyway. Zuma will only ever be remembered for ruining this once beautiful country. Graham Rice.
In full agreement with the ANC’s march against racism. So hopefully the playing fields will now be levelled and we will all be equal in the land of our birth i.e. no more BEE for jobs and quota systems for sports etc. Just the best workers/players for the relevant positions chosen on merit. Hooray. Ros.
I agree with Zwakele Mncwango (DA leader in KwaZulu-Natal) that the majority of the people don’t understand the power of their vote ( Daily News, February 22). People get carried away by a parcel of meat and empty promises when elections are nearing. After that they are left hanging onto empty promises until the next elections. To make people aware of what their vote can do, for their municipalities and country, they should be taught from a very early age. (It should start in schools.) Once the potential voters know what their vote can do for them and their future, then, and only then, will we get to see a change in this country. This is the problem we are currently facing. Very sad.
Education
Shocking state of overcrowding at a secondary school in Verulam has compromised the safety of pupils. With 11 teachers still to report to the school because of a drastic increase in the roll, classes are left unattended. How are these children going to write the end-of-term exams?
Pre-primary and junior school education should be completely free from the age of three years to the end of Grade 7. High school grades 8 to 12 should be based on set sliding-scale means tests. Varsity should be paid for. Only students with an exceptional pass of 75% or higher should qualify for varsity acceptance. At present, we have morons creating mayhem, with no desire to be educated. Sorry to say, today it’s just a case of “give me” and “I want”. And government is giving in to their demands. Idiots cannot be taught at all. They burn and loot. Why? Because they know this will get them what they want. Any arsonist should be barred from all varsities forever. Good riddance to bad rubbish.
It pains me to see all these students protesting against Afrikaans. Don’t they know the origins of Afrikaans? It was a dialect to communicate with the dispossessed Khoisan people. There is no respect shown to the descendants of the first nation. Even our Khoi languages are not recognised. I say abolish all Nguni languages and remember, the most popular language is Afrikaans. Except for in KwaZulu-Natal, everywhere else it is the language of communication.
President Zuma, I ask what are you going to do about your students breaking this country down and the destroying of the varsities? Now it is about Afrikaans. They can have their own classes in English, or I suppose Afrikaans must rather go and study overseas; they’re bound to get jobs there. Anyway, if your students don’t want to study, please give my grandchild a chance to study in their place, because he cannot afford to pay for his. He had a B pass, but oh, I forgot, he is Afrikaans, so there won’t be a class for him. Ons is gatvol vir jul betogings en mors van geld. (We are fed up with your protests and wastage of money.)
Logic tells me any protesters taking to a rugby field intent on disrupting the game in the Free State should not be totally surprised if they are not greeted with open arms.
Sport
It is true that the game of cricket has evolved largely through the heavy bats. But the principles of batting technique remain the same. You still have to get in line for straight bat shots whether defending or attacking. You still have to roll your wrists when playing horizontal bat shots unlesss you are deliberately hitting for six or over the ring of fielders into the gaps. In cricket you will get a good ball that you have to defend and not get out. As a batsman you must have good technique to defend these balls so that you are still at the crease to take advantage of the bad balls. You do not score runs sitting in the pavilion. Power in batting comes from good timing. Good timing comes from good balance. Good balance comes from having your head in the right place and transferring your weight appropriately. The Don.
Yo, Daily News, why was there no mention about the brave South African Women’s cricket team in the sports section in Monday’s edition? They fought so bravely against a difficult England team. Even though they lost both series 2-1, they deserve an article for their valiant efforts. Capt M.
A BackChatter asked why Behardien was in the Proteas team. For the same reason Amla was made captain, even when he didn’t want it. Because of the strong influence of a particular group running SA cricket.
To the BackChatter who wants to know why Behardien’s still in the Proteas squad: well, haven’t you heard of the term, “quota player”, just like Robin Pieterson was, for many years? Bolo-Bolo42.
Perhaps it is time to remove the clique of so-called administrators that extract a living from KZN cricket and replace them with professional business managers.
Shocked at the firing of Dolphins coach Lance Klusener. Even he was shocked at his firing. Yes the Dolphins were not firing on all cylinders but Lance had done a great job. Something sinister is going on at KZNCU. Watch this space. Wish you well, Lance. Now for Proteas. AB.
Odds and ends
While browsing the internet to find out the potassium content level in grapefruit, I came across something I thought I should share with BackChatters. Consuming grapefruit or grapefruit juice while taking medication affects the medication’s potency. It either decreases or enhances its strength. It alters the effects of some medication. So, friends, when you are asked to take medicines by your GP, check if it’s okay to consume grapefruit or its juice simultaneously. Prem.
SABC, Please can we have a hospital story-type show on SABC 1, 2 or 3? So tired of the same old programmes to watch. I cannot afford DStv. Pay my TV licence every year :-) Please.
Just when I thought what an excellent tribute paid by family members to their loved hero, the late Jared Dwyer, I came down to earth with a “bump” when I read the last paragraph. Was it really necessary to end with “may your punishment be severe”?
Mr Editor, in future I shall only read your newspaper every second day. I will not miss much because your exceptional, seasoned contributor T Markandan will keep me up to date. Seriously, is he for real? Adam from Phoenix.
How does a judge give 10 years wholly suspended to a murderer and say he hoped the sentence would serve as a warning of the serious consequences of substance abuse? Put him behind bars for 20 years. Now that’s a warning.
What is happening to this once beautiful and safe country? Another killing, a father taken from his family and all you hear: the police are investigating.
Thank you for this BackChat page. Can somebody tell us why there is this total silence on the murdering and home invasion onslaught on others? Is this not racist? Not a squeak from our so-called experts and analysts. Had the roles been reversed, we would not hear the end of it in the media. Speak out, all you cowards and flaming hypocrites. Mr V.
It is sickening that this is not a safe country to live in any more, and what is the ANC doing about? Nothing, worried more about petty things like racism. It is a shame. Gran, Escombe.
The front page of the Daily News reflects very sad and devastating news which has robbed a family of a father because of a callous killing. The leadership of SAPS in Durban are a useless bunch who do not have a clue how to fight crime. Bring back the Cato Manor squad to clean this province and imprison the SAPS leadership and the ANC morons because they are more interested in internal squabbles.
Religion: the Holy Qur’an states there shall be no compulsion in religion. It offers a way of life without contradiction. For this reason, Muslims don’t normally convert. SA.
Doctors visits/claims. If you are not happy with the doctor’s charges, find another doctor. Nobody can tell you which doctor you have to go to.
Know woman, know trouble. No woman, no trouble. There’s always a need to know more. Alan.
Reading the article about the two elephants which went on a rampage and then being tranquillised and sent to where they belonged brought a sense of relief and smile to my face. You may ask why? Well, you see, in this day and age some people are too quick to kill enraged animals of their size. If you recall a few years ago, an escaped rhino, I think it was, was killed by a trigger-happy official in the uMdhloti area. This very same method could have been used to recapture and relocate this poor animal. Why didn’t they do that in this case? Left animal lovers, like myself, angry. Well done to the people who successfully recaptured the elephants. You saved them from potential death. Thanks. PS.
Up taxi licence fee by 300%. Use these additional funds to create workshops or tuition to educate taxi drivers of the rules and regulations of the road. If abided by, you will have far fewer frustrated drivers.
I read with great interest about the rogue cashiers at supermarkets. I remember once I had 10 bunches of parsley at the tills. The cashier counted 10 then emptied the see-through packet and counted again... in case I sneaked in an extra bunch. Now everything falls into place. All of this fake honesty was just to offset the loss of trolley loads of items by these staffers who, at just a nod and a wink, allow thousands of rand worth of groceries to be whisked away free... What sterling loyalty and commitment. Nel.
Please can someone explain how it’s possible for one person to collect four and five pensions at a time at supermarkets when others in their seventies with medical problems stand and collect theirs and also need to get lifts etc? We find it very unfair to those who need to be in and out a.s.a.p. but have to battle for up to two hours queueing up, being as patient as possible. The able-bodied collecting for others have no shame at all. Thought PIN numbers were meant to be secret?