Here is a selection of letters that we didn't have time to publish during the course of this week, as well as this week's leaderboard winner.
I am getting increasingly worried about the many rumours that continue to find homes in many medias about the "imminent breakaway" from the ANC by some key politburo members who currently feel disenfranchised by the new rise of others within the NEC. Inasmuch as this is news which most naysayers might be thrilled about, we need to treat these baseless prophecies with the disdain they deserve. The ANC is in turmoil that's for sure, but to put balloons and champagne on our tables because we anticipating the break-off of the ANC by the Ministers 'aligned' to the former president, cde Thabo Mbeki, is not only mischievous but unfounded!
Lest we forget how history has treated those who broke from the ANC after they felt they were "bigger than the Movement" as Jeff Radebe alleges in his open response to an open letter by Mosioa Lekota. We don't need to be reminded of what happened to cadres who were high in the ANC at one point, Robert Sobukwe who formed PAC and in recent times, Bantu Holomisa who formed the UDM. People who seem popular in a movement do not necessarily mean they will form good opposition parties, as witnessed thru Patricia De Lille, IFP breakaway Ziba Jiyane, Bantu Holomisa from the ANC, even close to our borders - the once promising Simba Makoni from the Zanu-PF! I advise all the cadres who have resigned from the ANC to exercise scepticism when they get advise of them being good opposition leaders on a new party ticket.
History has proven to be unkind to such people and it will be travesty to lose their contribution to the gentle behemoth movement as advanced and rich in tradition as the ANC! Electorate are feeling uneasy that's no question, but they know their loyalty and will use same to vote again in the 2009 elections! - Tshepo Matjila
It seems to me that South Africa's greatest problem is not crime and poverty, but the lack of quality education. At the end of 2007 a total of 564 775 learners, sat the matric exams. A dismal 65.2% passed, but the truly shocking statistic is that only 15.13% passed well enough, to go on and study at an institution of higher learning. That is only 85 454 young people who had learned enough after 14 years of schooling to qualify for a better life. The sad fact is that only a few will be able to afford higher learning. With an election looming in 2009, the ANC is unlikely to move education to the top of its priority list and will continue, with their cohorts the SACP and Cosatu, to waffle on regarding the upliftment of the poor. I urge the voters to find a political party that has education as its main priority and vote for it. Just make sure that the plan that they are espousing, is workable, sustainable and of sufficient quality to make a difference. - Sven Gohre
I refer to the letter from Nontokozo Mnyamana. First of all Nontokozo must be reminded that His Majesty, King Goodwill Zwelithini, is a king by right and hereditary and not by the election or political affiliation. This means that traditional kings have hereditary rights and we, as Zulus, should stop questioning the King's leadership and how much earnings he is entitled to. Secondly, we all have political organisations and municipalities responsible for what Nontokozo is calling "service delivery within our communities". I also come from a rural area and I drive my modern car on a gravel road which has caused so much damage to it! I will not however run to the chief and complain about my predicament and poor service delivery. There are councillors elected by ourselves who are supposed to be delivering their promises and they are not! Therefore, while we may want nothing to do with our traditional leaders, the community service delivery buck stops with the councillors that we elect and not the traditional leaders. - Hawulasembo Mkhize
The series of resignations by Ministers and Deputy Ministers has a bearing on their continued membership in national or local structures such as the Local Organising Committee of FIFA 2010 World Cup. I think it is logical that the resigned Ministers such as Mufamadi (former Minister of Provincial and Local Government), Pahad (former Minister in the Presidency), and Moleketi (former Deputy Minister of Finance) were nominated to sit in the LOC Board in their capacity as government secondments by virtue of their strategic positions in Cabinet. It therefore follows that it was on the basis of those positions that they were appointed to the LOC Board. Now what happens since they resigned? The success or failure of the LOC project is a national matter and the government should ensure that it succeeds. To do so it should second Minister that it trusts and prepared to serve the nation. A continued serving of Ministers who resigned in the LOC would breed reporting hassle to government since those Ministers are no longer in government and by implication demonstrated a vote of no confidence in the current government leadership, for it sacked President Mbeki. Their loyalty was only limited around the former President Mbeki than to the nation. Such people cannot continue serving in the LOC. - Risenga Maruma
To me it comes as no surprise that the two Zimbabwean leaders, President Robert Mugabe and MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai, failed to agree on the sharing of ministries. I hate to say it, but I told you so. When many were rejoicing the signing of a power-sharing "deal" between the power-hungry President Robert Mugabe and the two factions of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leaders, I was still shocked by how Bob shamelessly showed that he viewed the "power-sharing deal" as powerless and unbinding in his speech. Mugabe should be constantly reminded of the terms of the "deal" or else havoc should be anticipated. Hints in Mugabe's speech left very clear indications that he was not going to abide by the terms of the deal. The solution for Zim's problem will be going back to the negotiations table with a new mediator, and re-discussing issues such as the sharing of ministries between the opposition and the Zanu-PF, and all the other issues about governance of the country before the deal is signed. After the discussions there should no longer be any negotiations on the structure of government and the formation of a cabinet- these issues must be discussed as part of the deal. The first deal became a flop because it left room for negotiations after the deal was struck, this should be avoided this time around. - Madimetja Mashishi
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