IEC is under attack for all the wrong reasons

It is disappointing that William Gumede, “The IEC has failed — this is how to fix it” (September 19), falls into the populist trap of denigrating the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC). He does so on a fundamental mischaracterisation of the IEC decision to reopen the candidate registration process.

The IEC did not “allow the ANC to register candidates … after the deadline” as Gumede suggests. When the ANC initially sought such an indulgence, the IEC refused to entertain it, correctly citing precedent when other parties previously sought a similar dispensation and were turned away. It was only after the Constitutional Court order on September 3 that the IEC convened a meeting of the national party liaison committee (NPLC) to propose that the candidate registration process be reopened for all parties as it was “reasonably necessary” to do so after the court ordered that the voter registration process be reopened. Ten of the 14 parties represented in the NPLC agreed with the IEC. Hardly a unilateral, biased decision by the IEC, then.

Once the voter registration process is reopened and the voters’ roll increased, the pool of potential candidates is similarly enhanced, so those who are now eligible to be registered as candidates should be allowed to do so. This position is affirmed by the judgments of the Constitutional Court delivered on September 18 and 20.

The IEC is not without its flaws, especially as regards the process of appointing commissioners, but that cannot be laid at the door of the commission. As an avid observer of these processes, the Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution (Casac) has highlighted these shortcomings before. We have also advocated for the harmonisation of appointment procedures for the heads of chapter 9 bodies such as the IEC.

Let’s work to strengthen our national elections management body rather than irresponsibly throwing stones at it.

Lawson Naidoo, executive secretary, Casac

Consider the nuclear option

The debate about green energy and carbon emissions seems to be heating up, along with the planet. Your article, “It’s time to uproot our archaic energy and mining regime” (September 19), claims there is enough renewable energy to power the world. I disagree. We wax lyrical about wind turbines and solar panels, but we ignore the uncomfortable fact that these won’t supply the base loads required.

Wind turbines, for example, only work at wind speeds of 15-50km/h and are only about 30% efficient. The uncomfortable answer has been looking us in the face for a long time. China has 49 nuclear power stations, another 17 under construction, and plans to build another 100 by 2035. Most will be small, modular reactors producing 125MW each.

Once held up as the dirtiest emitter of greenhouse gases, China is changing fast and produces most of the world’s solar panels. While our democracies debate and argue about what to do, perhaps it’s time to take a few lessons from our autocratic neighbour. Bernard Benson, Parklands

Beautiful SA is drowning in litter

I recently returned from a road trip to the Cape. Our beautiful country is drowning in litter. Most traffic on the national roads between cities consists of heavy vehicles. Drivers seem pressured into eating on the go, and the result is that fast-food packaging is strewn across our country.

The beautiful Olifantskop Pass on the N10 over the Suurberg in the Eastern Cape is an example of exquisite views marred by SA’s “national flower” — the plastic bag.

There is no sign of human habitation in this remote area, so the garbage is a result of road users.

There must be a solution. What about incentivising? It would take a bit of negotiation and investment but wouldn’t it be an ideal world if corporates took their social responsibility to the next level?

A deal could be struck between them and the fast-food industry for garbage depots to be set up, and for every bag of fast-food packaging deposited, points could be given, similar to a loyalty card, and after so many points on a card, one could earn a free meal, or something similar. If this was introduced cleverly it may even result in much-needed job creation.

This is possibly idealistic but surely we could start somewhere. Heather Butler, Pennington

Religious leadership might not help

In “Come on men of SA, we can do better than this” (September 19), Ray McCauley asks: “Where are our religious leaders … women and children are crying out for our leadership.” I suggest that maybe they are a significant part of the problem, as can be seen in the following scriptural passages from some of the world’s main religions:

An unmarried woman could be compelled to marry her rapist, as long as the rapist could pay the standard bride price and the woman’s father was comfortable with the marriage, according to Deuteronomy in the Old Testament.

Matthew 5:32 in the New Testament says men can divorce their wives if they are unfaithful, but of course women are not allowed the same privilege.

The Koran 4:34: “Those wives from whom you fear arrogance — [first] advise them; [then if they persist] forsake them in bed; [and finally] strike them.”

“The mind of woman brooks not discipline. Her intellect has little weight.” (Rig Veda).

I dare say I will be accused of cherrypicking, but maybe women and children would be safer seeking secular company?

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