This morning I listened to the heart wrenching story on
94.7, when the Breakfast Express team chatted to the sister of Bruno Pelizzari
and his partner Debbie Calitz, who was kidnapped by Somali pirates and have
been captive for over 15 months. Vera
Hecht told the team and the listeners of 94.7 how she has been desperately
trying to raise the ransom demanded by the pirates to get her brother and
Debbie back. She approached OUR
government to get assistance and they said NO.
How disgusting that the South African Government turned
around and said that however, they will offer counselling and that they give
her permission to raise the funds to get her brother and Debbie back! Do they think that this is compensation
enough? Is the Government so heartless and selfish as to not help a fellow
citizen of South Africa in her plight to save her family? Is this couple not
important enough?
If the shoe was on the other foot, and a family member of
one of our glorified government members was to be kidnapped, what would they
do? Would they immediately jump and get
the government to assist them in getting their family members back? Of course!
And would our glorified government help in getting the family members
back? Of course! For once, could our tax money be used for
something other than lining the pockets of our Government?
Can I therefore really say that I am well and truly proud to
be a South African? That I will vote for
them in the next election when this is how they treat their citizens?
Vera Hecht has created website and an sms line for anyone
willing to give donations to help her raise the money to get her brother and
Debbie back. The website is www.sosbrunodebbie.co.za and you can also sms the word SOS to 38417,
where R10 will be donated.
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