Leaders bungled e-toll, now other routes grow in danger

IT seems that, even with all the controversy surrounding it, the e-toll system is going ahead, come what may. Toll roads are a necessity for South Africa to build and maintain its vast network of road infrastructure. The way this massive project was planned and implemented reflects a failure by the government to acquire consent from all parties concerned, especially the taxpaying citizens of South Africa.

Parties opposing the e-toll system are undertaking defiance campaigns and making last-minute bids to halt the system, which has now been implemented and gone live. There will be lots of motorists who will not purchase e-tags and who will use alternative routes. This means a huge toll on the maintenance and upkeep of these alternative routes. They will rapidly deteriorate once the heavies start using them to avoid the toll fees.

What this country does not need is another stretch of road that will cost many innocent lives, like Fields Hill in KwaZulu-Natal.

The festive season has just begun — together with a huge toll of road fatalities. — Vijay Sewtahal, by e-mail

Bhengu and a boycott

OBVIOUSLY, ANC MP Ruth Bhengu, chairwoman of parliament’s portfolio committee on transport, would like us citizens to be sheep who believe all the nonsense and accept the many failed decisions by the ruling party, “No citizen should mobilise against e-tolling”, (December 1).

We, the citizens of Gauteng, never objected to paying for roads. The objection all round is that a very much more expensive mode of collecting funds for the roads was chosen. We already had the means to collect extra money through the road levy, which would not have cost anything extra. The present system, run by an Austrian company, will make a small fortune thanks to our politicians, who seem not to be able to count or calculate when it comes to saving costs for the nation. Bhengu, like her cohorts in the government, doesn’t have to worry about the extra cost, because the taxpayers will foot her bill if she travels these roads.

Definitely no e-tag for me, ever, under these circumstances. — Erwin, Randburg

Defiant drivers

BHENGU’S argument for e-tolls — that noncompliance was only valid to end apartheid — is pathetic. We reject this imposed system too and we won’t comply. — Colin, by SMS

Double blow to ANC

I AM feeling so sad about my party. E-tolls and Nkandla destroy the ANC. — Zane, Alexandra

Support public protector

THE leaks from the public protector’s provisional reports on President Jacob Zuma’s Nkandla, former communications minister Dina Pule and Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Tina Joemat-Pettersson, “Three damning blows for Zuma” (December 1), are horrendous. They are evidence of the government squandering state resources in its pursuit of self-enrichment and extending patronage to politically connected entrepreneurs through the embezzlement of our public purse.

In view of the ferocious efforts of the “security cluster ministers” to alienate this true champion of our democracy, we can only hope that Thuli Madonsela’s efforts in eradicating corruption in the public sector will appeal to ordinary voting citizens in the upcoming 2014 general elections. — Courage Rikhotso, Tembisa

In the swim with Zuma

WE are so proud that our hard-earned tax money was able to give President Jacob Zuma his hi-tech dream home.

No doubt that with his R2.65-million

Those who can’t, criticise

“SCOFF till you’re blue in the face . . .” (December 1) about Vladimir Tretchikoff refers. I get especially irate when I read about efforts by people like Irma Stern to undermine Tretchikoff’s work. Sure, some of his paintings in later life were not that great (I attended his exhibitions), but, as an artist myself, I can say that Stern’s stuff is insipid by comparison. She is no more than a paint smearer. For her to be considered a great artist is as ridiculous as considering The Scream a great painting or Jackson Pollock’s scribbles good art.

It is sad that art has degenerated to the level that it has and that individuals such as Marilyn Martin can determine what is good and what is not.

The descriptions of Tretchikoff’s earlier paintings, which you refer to, were pathetic, but the paintings themselves — including Journey’s End, the Lost Orchid and so on — show an understanding of technique and use of colour that was extremely proficient.

I went though a similar experience as Tretchikoff when, as a young artist, I was frowned upon by the likes of Bettie Cilliers-Barnard because I chose to paint realistically. There seems to be no end

Numsa is right

pool, we’ll soon see a Jacob le Clos.

I now sleep soundly at night knowing that, if under attack, he will be safely tucked up in his bunker.

Pay up people, we really are getting value for money here. It is so comforting to know that our president lies awake at night thinking of the poor. — Sipho K Chipiwa, Craighall Park THE National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa is doing the right thing — it should have been out of the ANC a long time ago, because those at the top don’t care about anybody else except to enrich themselves. I wish the other unions would do the same if they care for us workers. I wish you luck, Numsa. — Thembeka Ngqokelane, Johannesburg

No, Numsa is wrong

IRVIN Jim thinks he is above the masses. He will soon find out who is the boss. The list of those who have tried to mislead the masses is very long. Vavi turned Cosatu House into a brothel and unfairly employed his married girlfriend. Those are very serious allegations. We’ll mobilise our cats, dogs and lizards to vote for the ANC. Those who think we will struggle will soon find there are many disciplined, loyal and patriotic comrades, including our children. Viva Jacob Zuma. — Dr S Zondi, East London

Cosatu failed to create jobs

I’M for the split. Cosatu took our hardearned monies under the pretext of job creation. Where are the jobs? However, it would be wiser if Numsa joined the Economic Freedom Fighters or the Congress of the People. — CSR, by SMS

ANC perpetuates race division

IN reading the obituary, “Reggie September: Influential member of ANC inner circle in exile” (December 1), I was disturbed by the tone of the following statement: “In 1953, [September] was one of the founders of the South African People’s Organisation in opposition to the Non-European Movement led by the likes of Neville Alexander, which strongly opposed any form of collaboration with the ANC.”

First, Alexander was just 17 years old in 1953, so it is not clear why he is singled out in this way by the author. Second, it is today painfully obvious that he was quite correct to not want to collaborate with the ANC and reject its conservative black nationalist politics. Indeed, the ANC’s misguided approach to the national question is expressed in its perpetuation UNFAIR: Tretchikoff had excellent technique and a command of colour to the number of individuals and organisations who make a career out of promoting mediocrity and denying good artists the opportunity to display their work. I am a better artist than Stern or Cilliers-Barnard.

I say down with the so-called experts and institutions. They themselves can’t paint, so they criticise. — Ray Holing, UCT of national (ethnic) groups and the ridiculous idea that the Khoe and others who have lived here for hundreds of years are non-Africans. So much for the ANC’s supposed non-racialism.— Shaun Whittaker, Windhoek

Negative labels create stigma

IT is important to properly define and move away from negative terms such as “disabled” and other terms that unfairly discriminate against other persons. Every day we are burdened with reports and comments that refer to people as “disabled”, or to “disability” — words that reinforce stigmatisation. Both references imply that people who do not have a sense of sight, for instance, do not have the capacity to do anything for themselves and that they only need pity and state grants. We need to understand that those who do not have a sense of sight, for instance, have all their other senses performing at a very high level. Why should we not have terms that seek to promote the positives in people instead of the negatives? All people are able, but they have different talents and achieve things at varying speeds, reaching different goals. The issuing of grants is one of the means of striving to achieve equality and correcting imbalances of the past. The principle of issuing grants should not, however, be used to stifle our people’s creativity and the hunger to fulfil their dreams. — Thabo Thwala, Bothaville

Growth casts doubts over DA

I AM a dyed-in-the-wool Prog. That means that the Democratic Alliance is most likely to get my vote. So far, it always has, even though I am increasingly concerned about some of the things that happen in the party.

It was appalling when Tony Leon took the Nats on board. Luckily, the Nats are not around anymore, but their attitudes are. I wasn’t sorry when the marriage fell apart and the Nats departed for the ANC. However, they didn’t all leave, and too many people stayed with the DA because it was white and not because it was liberal.

The DA has continued to grow with increasing numbers of former ANC members switching sides. Is this because they have suddenly become liberals? Or is it because they hope to score positions as MPs and councillors?

I know all about political pragmatism and the need for the party to grow. But I would rather identify with a small party of integrity than savour the power of a big party that has compromised its principles for the sake of growth. — Ron McGregor, Cape Town

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