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PUBLIC SERVANTS UNDER SIEGE It is disgraceful that our public servants are being attacked while rendering a service to the very community members that are attacking them. We have so many social ills and now our social workers are afraid to assist the community that needs them. Spare a thought, too, for teachers who have to endure daily dangers at the hands of unruly pupils in our schools. Teachers are too afraid to reprimand pupils, who may then go out and damage or destroy their property. We appeal to community leaders and parents to protect our public servants so we can have functional, productive communities to live in.

Elroy Swart, Gelvandale

MBALULA FOR PRESIDENT?

I would like to propose Fikile Mbalula as our new president. He has been minister of so many things that he obviously has the experience to lead the country. Couldn’t be worse than Jacob or Cyril. What a circus our government has become.

Malcolm Dodds

‘LIGHTS OUT’ PROPOSAL

Re “Bay business battles Eskom eclipse” (September 20), the city’s business chamber chief says we should have 24 hours “off” and rely on 24 hours “on”. What will our pensioners do in that time? All of us cannot have gas stoves and geysers. Some older people use power for their oxygen supply. We cannot all afford inverters. I have also suggested that traffic lights should be fitted with solar power, but if the municipality cannot even fix potholes, how realistic is solar power? It is not a good idea to go off for 24 hours at a time.

L McLeod

ESKOM’S WOES

Faced with the serious economic consequences of continued blackouts, the vultures are gathering to place the blame of Eskom’s failure on CEO Andre de Ruyter. They conveniently forget the ANC government was aware of Eskom’s circumstances when it took office, but chose instead to spend lavishly on the arms deal, the AU, and other fruitless and wasted events. BBBEE, and the unbridled greed and corruption that followed over the past nearly 30 years have all but bankrupted SA — and the blame lies clearly with the ANC.

Davey Crockett I am more than tired of reading about who is to blame for Eskom’s shortcomings. The spotlight, surely, (when there is power) must fall on only two: The NP (its adherents and apartheid policy) and the ANC, with its corruption and cadre deployments. No need to look elsewhere.

Fraser Williams, Richmond Hill

SORT OUT FLEET MANAGEMENT

Re “Wheels come off at Bay fleet depots” (September 21): This surely is testimony to what a useless municipality we have had in the Bay. There appears to be no-one in control in the fleet department and thieves are helping themselves to whatever they want. In addition there are about 300 broken and damaged vehicles in the depots.

Dave, Walmer

SMME SUPPORT

Lunga Mjodo needs to also acknowledge that the term SMME does not refer to small white-owned start-up business that are left to whither and die with no help from any government or business chamber help desk (“Small business is everyone’s business”, September 21). The acronym SMME needs to be change to BSMME to reflect the true state of things in which a white entrepreneur starting a business is excluded from all government and municipal contracts, even in their own wards, and has less chance of expansion and success than our counterparts.

WSMME, Kariega

COUNCIL CHAOS

By now we know how incompetent half of our councillors are —The Herald’s photos on September 22 made it very clear (“Johnson ousted in day of chaos”). If it’s not chaos at a meeting it’s chaos in a restaurant. I’m happy to sponsor a circus tent for our incompetent councillors.

PRO PE

WARD 60 CONCERNS

I am worried about the processes followed to select ward committee nominees. The process appears flawed and alleged interference by some ward councillors makes me suspicious. How on earth, in Ward 60, did only ANC nominees emerge on the list? All other party nominees were omitted from the list. In my view this process needs to start afresh so everybody has a fair chance. Someone need to explain this to the community — enough is enough.

Concerned Ward 60 resident

JOHNSON AND LUNGISA

Jik-water Johnson and Jughead Lungisa should team up and create a new party. All the best to this new coalition. Show us and the rest of the country how it should be done.

Rocket

UPTON VS SLIM

Typical pompous response from Gordon Upton last week to the excellent Jane Slim, who had berated The Herald for slowly turning into a magazine. Then again, it’s what we have come to expect from “his lordship”.

Billy Bryan

WATER TARIFF CONFUSES

Re Fed Up’s Chirp last week about the water and sewerage calculations: ‘Fed up’ uses a kilolitre of water a month and is charged R88.04. But according to the municipality the water tariff for 0 to 3 kilolitres a day is R20.81. Where does ‘Fed up’ get his tariff from?

D Clack, Newton Park

THE OTHER SIDE OF GBV

On Wednesday last week, Algoa FM reported on an altercation between a woman and her boyfriend, a SAPS member. During the altercation the woman got hold of the firearm and killed her boyfriend. She appeared in court and was granted bail. Is this not also gender-based violence, but with different standards?

Andrew, Algoa Park

STOP BLAMING APARTHEID

A classic came from our own Thabo Mbeki on TV on Wednesday last week. During the discussion about Eishkom’s woes and load-shedding, Mbeki said load-shedding was a legacy of colonialism and apartheid. It is time the powers that be got off their collective backsides and repaired what they had received in working order. And keep it working! Richard