CHARLES BESTER of Stutterheim (M&G November 1 to 7) surely has his head buried in the sand. If he listened carefully to my argument, he would understand why we need a navy. Our country has a 3 000km coastline, an Extended Economic Zone 200 nautical miles from our shores, which doubles our sovereign territory, fish in those waters, oil, gas and minerals to exploit under the sea-bed, and an economy almost totally dependent on trade through our ports. Quite an asset to patrol and protect from all manner of predators – now and in the unpredictable future.
Even on behalf of Stutterheim ostriches, I’m willing to speak in Stutterheim with pleasure, Mr Bester. Maybe someday you will come and have a look at our oceans. – Ronnie Kasrils, Deputy Minister of Defence, Cape Town
BRIEFLY
IT is irresponsible to begin an interview, as Katy Bauer did (“New Era Dawns for the Arts”, M&G November 1 to 7), with an admission that she had done no reading and no homework. The topic, the National Arts Councils, is dealt with in 10 succinct paragraphs covering one-and-a-half typed pages. Even the busiest of journalists could have absorbed the complete Draft White Paper on Arts, Culture and Heritage, in 15 minutes. Its 41 pages of simple English divide into seven chapters.
To choose instead the bliss of ignorance, is mischievous. A serious subject with a clear vision and stated strategy becomes her plaything. She muddles facts, misquotes words, and manipulates for the sake of a few cheap laughs from the gallery. No, Ms Bauer, your oh-so-clever verbal juggling has helped no one. Not even your own fledgling career, for faux-naif facetiousness is as pass as the old order. Open your eyes, this is a new age. – Andrew Verster, Durban
AM I being extraordinarily demanding, or naive, in expecting the Post Office to render service to the public, instead of steadily contracting the services they used to render before they became “commercialised”?
I refer specifically to two bugbears: firstly, one can no longer receive registered (or whatever they call it nowadays) mail at your postal address, but must make a tedious journey to the post office that they deem the nearest. Secondly, the post boxes into which you mail your letters are being steadily removed. If I wish to mail a letter, I have to a) walk 2km, or b) take a R3 bus ride (and R3 back), or c) use a R10 taxi trip there and back, or d) con some other unfortunate into doing one of the above for me. Not all of us have cars.
When I telephoned the relevant department (and that was a job) to ascertain the nearest posting box, and queried the removal of boxes, I was told that it costs R2 000 per month to clear each box daily. Why don’t they keep the boxes, and clear them bi- weekly?
I would rather pay R1 per stamp, and be able to post my letters, than have to go through the rigmarole of getting them actually posted. – Colleen Matthews, Johannesburg
THE proposed pro-choice legislation was clearly on the ANC programme for the 1994 elections. The voters then decided for the ANC. Now a vociferous religious minority is attempting to impose their anti-choice ideas on all of us. In a democracy that is not acceptable. The religious groups may well impose their will on their members, however, I implore our politicians and voters alike to keep religion out of politics.- FW Huchzermeyer, Onderstepoort
ENDS