Much amiss in this South Africa

AS A permanent resident of South Africa for more than 30 years but also a non-voting onlooker, it seems to me that the current government is at war with itself.

If what I see, hear and read in various news reports is anywhere near the truth, the president and his ministers are all pulling in different directions.

Surely the duty of any government anywhere is to uphold the constitution and all laws in the best interest of all residents of the country, and more particularly for all citizens, be they poor or wealthy.

Personal friendships should not have any bearing on any decision taken by any government minister.

All government employees – be they a chairman or a director, manager or general worker of any government-owned institution – are paid by the tax-paying public, hence the name “public servant”.

The problem appears to have filtered from the very top to very low down in the government hierarchy.

South Africa seems to have developed into a state where personal wealth for public servants comes well ahead of public service.

Having recently had to deal with two disparate government departments, the comparisons are staggering.

Renewing my driving licence at Xavier Driving Licence Testing Centre was a total pleasure, with polite people serving the public in as short a space of time as possible.

However, trying to deal with the discourtesy at the Department of Home Affairs was a mind-blowing experience.

I would put the vast differences shown by the two departments down to management and the examples shown by the respective managers.

In both cases, I asked to speak to the departmental manager: I thanked one for the efficiency of the staff and one I advised that the staff needed some serious training in manners and how to deal with the public.

I have no doubt you will be able to decide which was which. TOM LAMBE Johannesburg