Challenges faced in truck trade just part of problem

The recent truck accident, which claimed the lives of another seven people, and many others seriously injured refers: The traffic police department must take 70% of the blame for not doing their duty of inspecting the roadworthiness of these heavy-duty vehicles, as was done under the previous government, forcing the truck owners to maintain their vehicles. The rest of the blame must fall on tbe shoulders of truck owners. Trucking is a cut-throat business, with small profit margins. The overheads are crazy, with each truck costing over R1 million. The huge cost of spare parts, tyres, diesel, huge insurance, vehicle loan repayment, rental for parking of trucks, salary for workers and other costs amount to a huge sum each month. Only a brave person with enough business experience would venture into this business. This is why truck operators hire foreign nationals as drivers. lf they had to employ South Africans, 90% of the operators will go bankrupt in six months. Without truckers, our country will collapse in three months. So don’t criticise truck operators until you know the cost of operating. | NARESH SINGH

Mr Mayor and exco. Essential services cannot be held to ransom by municipal workers or contractors seeking to rob the economy. Your predecessors created the culture of giving away money in overtime pay for lazy work in normal time extended to overtime hours. Those workers who sabotage work or provide no work must be dealt with harshly. Blacklist municipal fire workers, their lazy supervisors and errant contractors. You simply cannot ignore the damage by political manoeuvring and sabotage any longer. Those not willing to work in the best interests of the country must be got rid. They can challenge their dismissals but nobody is going to feel sorry for them. The health of citizens and well-being of the country cannot be a political football. Act today. No negotiations about illegal activity and deliberate destruction. Unions need a wake-up call.

| JAY

Our country is in ruins, go to Europe. Their railroad network is one of the best – London, Barcelona, Amsterdam, hop on and hop off, heavy traffic of goods by rail. They destroyed the rail network; trucks and taxis took over, and deaths and destruction increased. Why do leaders not fix the rail network, and get goods on the rail? When thinking about life, remember this, self-enriching causes community destruction, then no amount of guilt can solve past problems, such as lack of maintenance, and homes. People are hurt, jobs lost, no food. There is enough money to fix things if leaders stop stealing. No amount of anxiety or worry can change the future. If leaders do not fix the country.

| KINNONKNAIDOO

Eleven months after Durban’s top author Morgan Mahalingum Govender died, his wife, Vino fulfilled his wish by launching his fifth book, As from Beyond the Sunset, Meditation, sayings and stories. Congratulations, and well done Vino. It was definitely an emotional book launch.

| DHAYALAN MOODLEY

Not again – another child has been killed by pit bulls. Owners are irresponsible – the angry community killed and burnt one of the attack dogs, while the other dog was taken to the SPCA and euthanised. This is not fair; what’s wrong with these owners? Put a fence up around your property.

| MARK MALYON