Readers’ Views

Praise DA leaders for quitting, but we still need a strong opposition

While I laud Mmusi Maimane for finally having stepped down, and especially Athol Trollip for his excellent speech on Wednesday, the idea of collective responsibility is complete hogwash.

A leader of a party or a company always bears ultimate responsibility for the trajectory of his organisation, even if he has no direct hand in it.

The idea of collective responsibility, much loved by every single ANC cadre, means nobody accepts any form of blame whatsoever and directly explains our current predicament. libby 22, on Business LIVE

Mmusi Maimane is honest and has integrity, and there is absolutely no dirt whatsoever on him, unlike all the corrupt ANC politicians.

He is a principled politician who held the ANC, especially Jacob Zuma and Cyril Ramaphosa, to account in parliamentary debates.

My guess is there is going to be voter apathy going forward. SA needs a strong opposition to thrive, and now we don’t have one.

The ANC will do as they please and milk the country just as they have done with Eskom.

James McWilliams, on Business LIVE

RDP homes should go solar

The article “Gwede’s power plea to investors” (October 20) refers. The question is, is the government prepared to invest sufficient money in RDP developments so that these houses can be equipped with comprehensive solar systems?

Poor people can’t afford electricity and just burden the grid with illegal connections.

When promising free electricity, common sense dictates that you then provide free electricity, not expensive electricity that you don’t charge them for.

The ANC should have been providing off-grid solutions for all services, going right back to day one of its RDP programme.

Christine Cameron-Dow, on Business LIVE

State meddling harms medical aid

None of this medical-scheme gobbledygook was around when I joined in 1974, “Medical schemes short-changing their members” (Money, October 20).

I still have the numbers — no prescribed minimum benefits. Everything was paid for — 100%.

Then the government decided to interfere. Medical schemes had to accept new members of any age; up went the risk, penalising those who’d been members from their 30s.

Then came prescribed minimum benefits.

It’s no wonder we pay fortunes for cover these days.

David Reynell, on Business LIVE