Wake up and sign the Vukani! declaration

MY CONGRATULATIONS to Thami ka Plaatjie on his wellwritten letter (“Kasrils was quiet during Aids debacle”, The Star Letters, April 28), in which he focuses almost entirely on Ron Kasrils and his support for the Vukani! Sidikiwe! campaign.

The writer clearly dismisses the idea that there is any rot or loss of democracy, any lack of democratic ethics, and any undermining of democracy in the ANC, and ascribes the Vukani! Sidikiwe! campaign to a misguided group of malcontents.

After reading his article, I read the declaration of this campaign. It claims that “Legitimate criticism and protest are too often met by intolerance and repression, and we have blights on the national conscience; such as Nkandla, the killing of Andries Tatane and the Marikana massacre, all of which are eroding our hardwon parliamentary democracy”.

I am taking steps to circulate Thami ka Plaatjie’s eloquent piece to others who may be considering whether they should sign the Vukani! Sidikiwe! declaration. They may find it as helpful as I did.

I am entirely persuaded by Thami ka Plaatjie that I did the right thing to sign the declara- tion, for he provides a vivid illustration of what the campaign is about.

Incidentally, I have known Kasrils for about as long as I have been a rank-and-file member of the ANC (which is longer than Thami ka Plaatjie has been alive, I am sure). What he writes says more about himself than about Kasrils. Mervyn E Bennun