Traditional leaders cannot be called Africa’s ‘soul’
There are a number of inaccuracies in Vernon Mchunu’s glowing support of izinduna and other traditional leaders (The Mercury, May 12).
Traditional leaders cannot be described as Africa’s “soul”. Many African societies, including pastoralists and hunter-gatherers, did not have them. Tanzania did away with them after independence.
Where they existed outside of well established states (as in West Africa), they were subject to the will of the people. If they did not do their
The facts about submarine U-177
THE story “Torpedoed and then machine-gunned” (The Mercury, May 15) refers. I beg to differ with the writer on two statements.
1) The writer states that the German submarine U-177 “… then surfaced and machine-gunned the stricken survivors”.
No account exists whatsoever that the survivors from the Nova Scotia were machine-gunned. If this was the case then the guilty party would have been brought to book by a tribunal established by the British authorities in Germany after the war. No such trial ever existed.
2) “One hundred and twenty corpses were washed up on Durban beaches.”
By contrast, uncorroborated statements given at the time said corpses were located on the beaches of the Zululand coast.
This should not be surprising since the Agulhas current flows along the entire coast of KwaZuluNatal. It is quite inconceivable that the corpses were washed up at Durban alone.
It might be interesting to note that the skipper of U-177, Krv Kpt Robert Gysae, was posted to a job ashore when his boat returned to base. The U-177 is credited with 16 ships sunk, nine off southern Africa.
U-117 was sunk on February 6, 1944 during a bombing attack by the US Navy 860km west-south-west of Ascension Island. Fifty hands were lost, including skipper KrvKpt Heinz Bucholz and 10 were taken prisoner. STEVE WATT Pietermaritzburg
White capitalists’ investment is crucial
IT DOES not make practical sense: on one hand white capitalism monopoly is attacked by the SACP and by the ANC Youth League and others, while on the other, government ministries and other agents go tramping off to Britain, Europe, Australia, etc to attract white capitalist investment for South Africa.
It is foreign white capitalists’ investment in the country that is providing (and creating) employment; without foreign investment, the people will starve, as there will be no jobs.
There is no country that can really survive without foreign investment.
Zimbabwe is a very good example. There is no inflowing new foreign investment and the country is struggling and suffering as jobs are too few.
Many countries in Africa are poor and politically unstable, and foreign investors don’t want to invest in these countries.
South Africa is highly built-up and billions of rand are invested by foreign white capitalists’ companies, and if they have to disinvest, can one imagine, the unemployment figure soaring?
The SACP, ANCYL and others must stop their attacks on the socalled “white monopoly capitalists”.
They can go on attacking the investors, but this will only scare away new investors.
Even those in the country may want to disinvest and invest in a jobs properly, they were deposed or killed, or people simply moved elsewhere. It is true that colonialism used them as cogs in its own administrative machinery.
The British created new chiefs where people were living quite happily without them, as part of their creating fixed tribal boundaries for purposes of indirect rule.
Ironically, it was colonialism and apartheid which kept this system functioning, because had they not implemented a stringent racial policy, and allowed freedom stable environment. It is all just a question of time. Those who criticise and attack white capitalist investors happen to be just plain dumb and hypocrites. ISMAIL MOOLLA Umzinto
Corruption rife because of loophole
I AM not the least bit surprised regarding the recent acts of fraud at UKZN. I am disgusted and angry with how well-deserving students have been treated.
I have a niece who was rejected at UKZN, yet she had six As and two Bs. She was told she did not qualify for a place in medicine. I am certain many other gifted students were given the same kind of treatment. Only those who have the money are privileged to enter medical school, I have realised.
Corruption is a common practice in our country because of the loopholes our ruling party has provided for corrupt officials and individuals. Everyone is on the corruption bandwagon.
Well done to all the roleplayers for lifting the lid and exposing these rotten perpetrators.
Throw the book at them and make them pay for their crimes.
They must be charged and locked up, because if pickpockets, hijackers and common thieves can be sentenced to prison for a fraction of crimes they have committed, then the harshest of sentences should be handed down to this trio. of movement and ownership of land, the power of traditional leadership would have been seriously eroded since any allegiance would have been voluntary.
Respect for traditional leaders varies greatly, depending on how democratic and receptive to the needs of their communities they are. Unfortunately, sanctions by their employer (the government) are virtually non-existent when amakhosi abuse their power, including by driving people off their ancestral land. By the looks of their opulent lifestyle, I am sure the three in question and the many others who were role players in this crime must have lots of money. Viva Hawks for a job well done. B SANILAL Durban
Fast-tracking at harbour dubious
I REFER to the letter from Terry Hutson in the Mercury on May 15 (commenting on my letter on the same page), and would like to point out that his first and final sentences are contradictory. In the first he says the object of his article was to “raise questions around the efficacy of “fast-tracking” (in our harbour service).
But finally he states; “fast-tracking has now largely and successfully (been) achieved”. If the latter is so, why did he rake-up, in his article on May 10; “.... the question which resurfaces whenever there’s an incident such as a Pilot boat grounding”? It seems he now favours “fast-tracking”. Mr Hutson says (in other words) “fast-tracking” became necessary as it became impossible to attract marine staff. However, during my 32 years in the SA harbour service, ending 1995, this was never the case, and about half of Durban’s pilots were naturalised foreign seamen with Masters Certs.
The fact remains that “fast-tracking” SA’s harbour service is primarily a political exercise, putting colour before merit, in a country alleged to be opposed to racism, but
As for izinduna, there should be no blanket payment for them unless it can be proven that they do actually work for community members.
They, too, can abuse what power they have. In Mpumuza (Pietermaritzburg) one induna keeps a gate which residents use to access the nearby road locked, causing great hardship – despite a court order having been obtained against him compelling him to open the gate.
The Khoisan and Traditional Leadership Bill creates even more expensive tribal structures, and where corruption reigns supreme. We will never know the truth about its efficacy, as it is an instrument of a ruling party which according to President Zuma, will be here “until Jesus comes”. ROGER LAYZELL Durban
Brown doing masters’ bidding
MINISTER Lynne Brown says reappointing Molefe was a cheaper option than paying the R30million pension payout recommended by the Eskom board.
She also said the R30m was a figure arrived at by the pension fund.
So is the “pension fund” then dictated to by the Eskom board in terms of amounts paid out, or was this just a golden handshake?
There is no way that it could be a pension payout – R30m for less than two years’ work? That in simple terms would represent a contribution of some R1m a month.
Of course, the honourable Molefe stated last year that he resigned, but the Eskom board says he took early retirement. So did he retire or resign? This is not hard to work out. It would seem that Ms Brown is happy to have Molefe back irrespective of the cloud over his reputation and his work at Eskom irrespective of the public protector’s views or the fact that he has not been cleared of the findings.
She is in real terms, no better than the scoundrels scurrying around in ministerial positions also has very sinister implications. Mining companies wishing to dispossess rural residents of their land – as in Somkele and Fuleni (Umfolosi) – may bypass residents who oppose them and use various forms of persuasion to win over traditional leadership.
If this bill becomes law the hands of traditional leadership will be strengthened as the majority of members of tribal councils will be appointed by them. MARY DE HAAS
Durban and perpetuating the view that the constitution, high court and public protector carry no weight in their myopic view. Well done, Lynne Brown. You are doing your masters’ bidding and I await the next chapter of your convoluted tale with bated breath. ROLAND FISHER Durban
Rates tariff increase may not add up
HAVING checked eThekwini’s website on a regular basis, I am now anxious as to exactly how the 2017/18 Rates Randage will be increased by the metro council.
The mayor recently tabled her draft budget in which she stated that the rates tariff increase would be 6.9%! However, documentation on the website, such as Tariff Tables and the Medium Term Revenue Framework 2017/18 to 2019/20 state it will actually be only R1.06 cents which is slightly less than the current one of R1.19 cents.
It also states that pensioners, child-headed households, disability grantees and the medically boarded are exempt from paying rates on the first R460 000 of their property value.
Also, there has been no indication when public meetings will be held in order for the draft budget to be discussed with local ratepayers and residents which would give us a chance to obtain the truth regarding this Rate Randage problem. ALAN SMALDON
Gillitts