The death penalty is needed in uncivilised states

PROFESSOR George Devenish in his commentary in The Mercury on the death penalty (June 6) supports the abolition of the death penalty.

I wish to challenge him and some of his arguments. Before doing so, I ask why if we are living in a democracy where the will of the majority is accepted, if the majority desire the death penalty, why should it be refused?

This will could be determined in a national referendum followed by

‘Comments by Floyd, EFF are distasteful’

THE Ahmed Kathrada Foundation denounces the profoundly racist, politically reckless and highly inflammatory comments made by EFF parliamentary chief whip Floyd Shivambu, targeting the Treasury deputy director-general Ismail Momoniat.

Shivambu, in a parliamentary finance committee meeting, objected to Momoniat’s regular presence at meetings. He reportedly observed that Momoniat is not African, and that he “undermined African leadership”, a view which the EFF has since endorsed.

“It is extremely disturbing that not being an African is singled out as an issue by Shivambu and his party,” said the Kathrada Foundation’s executive director Neeshan Balton.

“Are Shivambu and the EFF in effect saying that Momoniat’s citizenship is of less value, simply because he is not African?” Balton asked.

“Shivambu’s comments leave South Africans believing that there is a concerted effort by the EFF to malign Momoniat personally to deflect National Treasury from taking a tough stance against institutions such as the VBS Bank,” emphasised Balton.

“Since when is it that a single MP can dictate who the government should be designating to represent the administration at parliamentary meetings?” asked Balton.

In this case, Treasury’s director-general Dondo Mogajane has indicated he had to attend another parliamentary meeting at the same time and could not be present along with Momoniat.

Mogajane said that Momoniat was acting on his “direct authority and instructions”, and that they had met prior to the meeting to plan Treasury’s approach.

Balton said that while Struggle veterans are not above scrutiny or debate over their views and policy decisions, it was “intensely distasteful” that Shivambu went on to try to discredit Momoniat’s contribution since the late 1970s to the anti-apartheid Struggle.

“Momoniat’s contribution to the anti-apartheid Struggle is exemplary and sincere,” he added. AHMED KATHRADA

FOUNDATION

Soccer boycott is but a teaching tool

ARGENTINA cancels friendly with Israel in Jerusalem – the friendly was expected to be played at the Teddy Stadium in Jerusalem which was once home to a Palestinian village.

The cancellation comes not only as the World Cup, the mostwatched sporting event around the globe, is about to begin, but also as Israeli-Palestinian tensions have risen to a boiling point.

In recent weeks, Israeli soldiers have killed more than 100 Palestinian demonstrators protesting near the Gaza Strip border.

This is a game-changer on so many levels. We remember that the sporting boycott of South Africa played a critical role in de-normalising apartheid by impacting the country where it would be felt most – teams and athletes refused to compete with the apartheid state in cricket, rugby, soccer, many other sports, and the Olympics.

We are reminded of the cultural figures who, one after the other, an- an amendment to the Constitution. The judges in the Makwanyane case reasoned over and over again the death penalty should not be imposed in any civilised society.

Twenty-two years on from their judgment, there is little to suggest we are a civilised society – murders, rapes, rampant violence against woman and children, femicide, state capture, grand corruption, hijackings, continuing poverty, pathetic schooling, poor policing and nounced proudly and publicly that they would not perform in South Africa, likewise garnering massive support for the anti-apartheid movement and speeding the fall of that regime. The sports boycott forced many people who might not otherwise have done so, to reckon with the issue of apartheid.

In the 1980s, the world was fed-up with the apartheid regime of South Africa and decided to initiate sanctions against it; those sanctions helped to free the country from apartheid. It is time for the world to rally behind sanctions on Israel in a similar fashion, until it complies with international law.

The Israelis claim that anti-Semitism is behind the boycott, but they don’t see the real reason: the occupation of Palestinian lands and the subjugation of the Palestinians over the years. Israel needs to learn to follow international law. The boycott is a teaching tool, nothing more. ZAAKIR SAID

Westville

Cyril not committed to walking the talk

IF ANYONE thought that things would improve or be different after the Jacob Zuma years under Cyril Ramaphosa, they are sorely mistaken.

In his State of the Nation Address (Sona) in February, the president promised to implement lifestyle audits for senior officials in government. Replies to questions by the DA indicate that this was just talk with no action.

This is confirmed when the Minister of Transport Blade Nzimande replied that his department had initiated the “process” of carrying health care suggest otherwise.

The argument that life imprisonment is an appropriate alternate is only appropriate if “a life sentence” meant exactly that and not 20 years’ imprisonment or less, which is invariably the case. This is also arbitrary and often unsatisfactory to victims’ families.

Concern that errors cannot be rectified could be remedied by a higher legal standard to be adopted in court – death penalty where out lifestyle audits but could not conduct them due to “legal limitations to access to information in possession of third parties as it can only be accessed through law enforcement agencies”.

If this is indeed the case, then why have law enforcement agencies not undertaken these audits?

It is clear that there is no appetite on behalf of the government to do this. What’s stopping these agencies from undertaking these audits now? Nothing.

In the meantime, those stealing from the taxpayer will continue to do so undetected, knowing full well they can continue living and enjoying their high lifestyles and that they will never be audited.

This is Ramaphosa for you: All talk. No action and the continuation of what we had under Zuma. Nothing’s actually changed!

MANNY DE FREITAS MP DA Transport spokesperson

Yet another victim of one of the ‘big five’

I WISH to endorse the letter from Stephen Francis in Newcastle that appeared in the Tuesday, June 5, edition of The Mercury, objecting to the 40% co-payment by his medical aid.

I have had the same experience, also by one of the so-called “big five”, insisting that I obtain my prescribed medication from the same designated service provider, Pharmacy Direct, or be subject to a co-payment.

My situation is ridiculous, knowing that my own pharmacy, Heritage Pharmacy in Hillcrest, is within walking distance of my home and could supply the stanI the accused is found “guilt beyond any doubt” and life imprisonment where only “guilt beyond reasonable doubt”. One only has to look at neighbours like Botswana where the death penalty remains, to see how it compares with our civilisation.

As one judge said a person intending to commit a crime might as well leave the gun behind when embarking on his crime if he knew the consequences. dard item, yet my medical aid (Medshield) insists that I receive my medication from a single DSP – and from the same pharmacy as that of Mr Francis, namely Pharmacy Direct.

The position becomes more ridiculous considering that Pharmacy Direct is located in Centurion, and has to courier my medication all the way from Pretoria to my home in Gillitts.

I, too, am not always at home to receive the courier, and there have been times when the delivery person had to return to Pretoria without delivering my medicine!

Heritage Pharmacy has kindly agreed to accept deliveries from Pharmacy Direct on my behalf. Mine is a standard item that Heritage could supply on behalf of my medical aid.

(I’ve even suggested to Medshield that they designate Heritage as an alternate DSP).

The situation becomes more outrageous, knowing that my medication is a standard item that comes in a tube smaller than a match box, yet is wrapped in packaging larger than a shoe box to courier it! CLIFF PHILLIPS Gillitts

Urgent need to heal SA healthcare crisis

THERE are two types of hospitals in South Africa: hospitals in the private sector and hospitals in the government sector.

Private sector hospitals are very expensive and beyond the reach of the people. These are affordable by the moneyed people only.

With so many South Africans liv-

As for it being morally, philosophically and theologically questionable, no one has been able to persuade me that the four men (it might have been five) who held a young girl hostage and repeatedly raped her over a period of some five days in a Johannesburg garage and then ended their spree by burning off her nose with an iron, (see Carte Blanche) have any right to life. J PRESTONNE

Durban ing below the poverty line – the poor are forced to use government hospitals because of the free treatment provided. Government hospitals are known for their lack of sanitation and basic infrastructure. In some of South Africa’s poorer, rural areas, quality medical facilities are scarce or non-existent, space is tight and doctors are in short supply.

Lifts not working, clogged toilets, patients waiting for hours, absconding nurses, poorly stored medicines, unclean wards and torn beds are just some of the issues.

There has been a steady increase in the number of reports of healthcare related problems, including overcrowded hospital wards, dilapidated infrastructure, food shortages, broken-down ambulances and neglected state mortuaries.

The pathetic condition of government hospitals is no surprise to anyone. Affordable but reliable healthcare is still an illusion in government hospitals.

Healthcare is being severely compromised. Failure to manage finances and ensure that facilities are functioning efficiently has led to serious consequences, including disability, stillbirths and death.

The healthcare system is now so thinly stretched that even the demands of routine medical care are beyond our hospitals’ capability. Doctors and nurses are devoted to the job of keeping patients safe and making them well. But there is only so much they can do when patients are lined up in the corridors.

We need to solve our healthcare crisis and the Department of Health really needs to play a more active role in the manner in which its facilities are run.