Here is a selection of other letters and articles sent in to News24 this week.
Recent events in Zimbabwe could well be an eye opener to South Africans. My question is though, will our people sit and think about all this and start having a different view? So many of our people are blindly (or out of loyalty) supporting a certain political party. Many of those are probably criticising and calling for tougher action to be taken against Mugabe. That is extremely hypocritical if you ask me. How can you urge countries to take action against a political party that has been "in power" for more than 20 years and then say your party will govern until Jesus comes? MyNew24 users know very well how contradicting the statements are of some president of a certain political party. It has taken more than twenty years for people to be seriously affected by what is happening in Zimbabwe. Our country, and almost everything in it, is deteriorating at an alarming speed. Could it by any chance be that it has been deteriorating gradually like Zimbabwe but we were not aware? - Nthatuwa
The events of the past few months has made me question my continued assistance to disadvantaged people. My first experience after moving to Cape Town was a vagrant that scratches in the bins each week when the rubbish is put out for collection. On one occasion when I saw him I told him that I always put food that is unspoiled on top of the dustbin in a plastic bag, so he doesn't need to scratch in the bin anymore amongst rotting left overs. Things went well for a short time - then one morning I put out a rather large bag of unspoiled food that I knew would not be eaten in my household. Through the net curtains I saw him come to the bin, whip the bag into his black bag and then start scratching in the bin. I opened the door and told him the good food was in the bag that had been on top of the bin. He blatantly lied to my face and told me that someone else must have taken the bag. I didn't argue with him - I didn't want my car scratched. Since then I have stopped placing any food on top of the bin and will never help him again.
The second is a newspaper man near where I work who asked me if I could get him a bread as he was hungry. I willingly bought him a bread only to be asked the samet hing two weeks later. I hadn't been paid so I couldn't buy a loaf and told him as much. The next time I pulled up at the lights, he approached me, no "good morning", no "it's a hot day" but "I'm still waiting" in a very agressive manner. Needless to say he is another person I won't be helping anymore. Disadvantaged people spoil it for themsleves by lying, and adopting an attitude of - You helped me once now you owe it to me. That is sad to see. I will continue looking for someone to help but I will be a lot more discerning in future. - Fern Yates
Jacob Zuma is quoted as saying "South Africa is a country based on the rules and principles of God" to this audience of religious leaders meeting to provide input into the ANC's election manifesto. He continued: "I believe no one can argue South Africa is not based on the principles of God." This actually is not true. South Africa is a constitutional state that respects people's rights to religion (or not having any). However, he is right that our courts insist on people swearing by raising their right hand and say "so help me God". This, to me is problematic. If it is true that this happens it creates a situation where the state seems to take a reference to a God which I suspect is based on the Judo-Christian religions as the closest thing to fearing telling a lie. Why is that? People still lie anyway, which demeans he value of the adherence to God by those who do. - Thembalabantubonke
Two weeks ago my grandmother was murdered in her home. Her house was torn apart as they stole her belongings and then they stole her car as well. The next morning when she was found, the SAPS was called and they came to the house. They secured the scene and started to check for evidence, which they found. The captain on the scene was very professional and made things easier for me and my family. At this point, I thought there would be no hope of catching the criminals, but they did. They caught them within 24 hours of the crime being committed. I just want to thank all the police who were involved from Edenvale and Tembisa. You did an outstanding job. Now I hope that justice is served, and the criminals are not set free.
- Rob Johnston
After a million conferences and valiant effort by all people of goodwill to solve the crisis in Zimbabwe, the regime of Mad Bob continues to spit in the face of all decency, and refuses to bulge. Elections have come and gone, second elections have come and gone Global Political Agreements have been made, but still the people of Zimbabwe continue to suffer under this regime. As for the efforts of Thabo Mbeki, SADC, the AU, and the rest of them, the less said the better! Surely the time has come to abandon all of this and up the ante a little! When South Africans of Goodwill tried and failed to get the apartheid government to talk its way out of its monstrous ways, people left this country to train as freedom fighters and they came back and fought with the government for the freedom of this country. Why can't Zimbabweans do the same? It is better to die fighting for the freedom from tyranny, than die a miserable, avoidable death from cholera, hunger and starvation. - Thamsanqa ka Ncube
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