July 08 – 14 2005

The power Shaiks

Now that the high court has pronounced on Schabir Shaik and President Thabo Mbeki has done the country proud in axing Jacob Zuma, one remains puzzled at the role the Shaik brothers appear to play in the contention for influence and power, without visibly being representative of anyone or anything except themselves. In the process reputations have been shattered and individuals denigrated.

The statement by ex-journalist Ranjeni Munusamy, after Zuma’s firing, that ”the king has been hit but the struggle continues”, in all probability also reflecting the sentiments of the Shaiks, confirms the place of Zuma in these political machinations.

Munusamy destroyed her career as a journalist with her role and ”performance” at the Hefer commission, which was clearly in the interests of, and probably at the behest of, the Shaiks.

Through Mo Shaik, a civil servant, they pre-emptively attempted to derail the investigation by the Scorpions of brother Schabir and Zuma by scandalising the then national director of public prosecutions, Bulelani Ngcuka, and to establish a case against him as a spy for the apartheid government.

Mo Shaik demonstrably lied under oath to that commission to strengthen his ”case” by attempting to portray Ngcuka and the Scorpions as still being on a leash to the apartheid old guard. The Hefer commission found no substance to these allegations.

Chippy Shaik left under a cloud as Armscor’s head of armaments procurement, after being in possession of a Cabinet memorandum concerning the arms deal that he was not authorised to have. He was later also found to have falsely stated that he had recused himself from a meeting where Schabir Shaik’s stake in the arms deal was discussed.

An important question surrounding the Shaiks’ role concerns Mo Shaik: how does he, the African National Congress and the government reconcile his position as a civil servant with his public, politically driven efforts to defend their compromised political patron, Zuma? What exact role in the governance of this country are the brothers Shaik pursuing so diligently? What did Munusamy mean when she, after Zuma’s demise, said ”the struggle continues”? What struggle, by whom, on behalf of whom, against what and whom? Who are the people and interests to whom Mo Shaik refers in the media as ”those I am said to represent”, while in government service?

Surely the Constitution demands transparency of public representatives, or is Mo Shaik not representing publicly? And, if privately/covertly, on what agenda? With his assiduously cultivated public profile, he owes the country an explanation. As do, to my mind, the Public Service Commission and the government. — Maritz Spaarwater, Hermanus

Let’s look at change

There is no doubt in the minds of many South Africans that the strike against poverty and unemployment called by the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) was successful. Hundreds of thousands of workers sacrificed one day’s pay to take part in the strike.

The Mail & Guardian commentary on the matter as reflected in the editorial of July 1 (”Labour’s love lost”) and John Matshikiza’s article in the same edition (”Tax, taxis and toyi-toyi”) miss the point.

Living under the constant threat that when you go to work tomorrow your factory might be liquidated and not knowing where your next meal will come from, is the reality of millions of South Africans. On June 27 workers, under the banner of Cosatu, said that they have had enough of this distressing economic situation where the unemployed and poor are blamed for their circumstances. According to the M&G, ”if labour laws are too fanciful and expensive to administer, let’s look at them”.

In response to this I want to say: ”the neo-liberal state and the accumulation of profits are too fanciful and expensive to administer, let’s look at them”. While this profit-making system (read capitalism) may benefit a substantial group in our country, it is disastrous for the majority. It has to change. — Althea MacQuene, Cape Town

A charter to cherish

‘Let us be clear about the Freedom Charter: it is a pamphlet drawn up by a political party — nothing more and nothing less.” These are the recent words of Douglas Gibson, Democratic Alliance MP and spokesperson for the party, saying that the 50th anniversary celebrations of the charter were a waste of money so the party would not attend. How careless.

Is the DA leadership too young to remember, or now too Nationalist to acknowledge, that the charter was probably the sole inspiration for millions of South Africans during the dark days of our fascism? Not only for the few local whites who were loudly and unfashionably anti-apartheid, but for the majority of South Africans who cherished the charter and its blueprint for better days to come for all our people? Those days are here now.

Luckily, the party that embraces the Freedom Charter is in the majority. The one that flippantly demeans it will stay small and speaks for itself alone. — Pieter-Dirk Uys, Darling

What’s up?

Why is the governmment fast-tracking the investi-gation into Pelindaba? Any other suggestion of question-able practices by government departments and the investigation drags on and on, à la Jacob Zuma.

Here, the National Energy Coroporation of South Africa (Necsa) is called in right away and Pelindaba gets a new fence and warning signs, chop-chop. What’s up?

And if they are dumping there, as these suspicious activities indicate, then is the government aware that they are in violation of several articles of the Pelindaba Treaty?

The treaty exists to promote a nuclear weapons-free zone on the African continent; however, several of the articles extend to the safe storage and dumping of all nuclear material.

If the government has failed in its duty to abide by the treaty then it is pointless asking it to investigate. That would be like asking a murderer to investigate the crime he has committed.

Instead, we should be inviting the International Atomic Energy Agency to come and have a look at Pelindaba and letting it give the facility the stamp of approval — as is called for by the treaty itself. — Philip de Wet, Democratic Alliance Gauteng environmental spokesperson

You are so funny

I don’t think there is any doubt that the Mail & Guardian is the most informative newspaper published in South Africa, and the fact that it is criticised by people across the political spectrum is proof of its balanced nature.

But the reason for this letter isn’t about the journalistic standards; it is about the Zapiro cartoon in the July 1 edition.

Zapiro’s cartoons are always good but last week’s one literally made me laugh out loud. Thanks for a brilliant news-paper. — Mike

Krisjan Lemmer, I have just been reading the latest of your pranks online (and a whole harvest of others in archive) and you got me so cracked up.

Where do you pick this up? Do you make it up yourself, consult your ”manne at the Dorsbult” or have someone send it over to you?

I used to think that your favourite watering hole — the Dorsbult Bar — was a mythical drinking laager somewhere in the ”Groot Marico” until I recently drove to Carolina, Mpumalanga, and passed a ”Dorsbult” sign board on the road side. If that’s where all the funny ideas spring from, maybe it’s time we made a shrine for the laughter faithful like myself. — Kimani Ndungu, Johannesburg

Campaign against the charlatan

On July 2 the South African Communist Party, the -Congress of South African Trade Unions and the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) in Khaye-litsha took to the streets in protest against the Dr Rath Health Foundation.

The foundation is famous because of its German leader, Dr Matthias Rath, who claims anti- retroviral drugs are toxic and that HIV/Aids can be treated with vitamins.

With the help of one of our alliance partners, the South African National Civics Organisation, Rath has been able to set up ”practice” in Khayelitsha and other working class neighbourhoods in the Western Cape.

The devastation of his message is already being felt in Khayelitsha.

What is heartbreaking, though, is the poor media coverage. Our media found the wedding anniversary of Archbishop Desmond Tutu more newsworthy than the deaths of a few black Aids patients in Khayelitsha.

The indifference to the issue of HIV/Aids cannot be allowed to continue, particularly within our government. The SACP has taken up the fight against Rath. We have also pledged our support to the TAC.

We are disappointed about the indifference of Minister of Health Manto Tshabalala-Msimang to the Rath phenomenon.

-Perhaps it is time for President Thabo Mbeki to release the minister from her position. Her unwillingness to act against Rath is likely to cause the deaths of -thousands of poor black people around the country.

We will campaign until Rath is exposed for the charlatan he is and rejected by our communities. — Luthando Nogcinisa, SACP Khayelitsha district secretary

Mlambo-Ngcuka not up to the job

I salute the government for creating a platform for women to participate in all its initiatives. It is the true champion of women’s emancipation on the continent.

The principle of women’s empowerment is a good ingredient for any society to become a wealthy and ethical one. However, the danger with this process is the potential for the abuse of powers by the president to make appointments in bad faith.

I think the Presidency should explain why Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka was appointed deputy president. Why were the likes of Minister of Housing Lindiwe Sisulu or Minister of Foreign Affairs Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma overlooked?

It is said when two elephants fight the grass suffers: is Mlambo-Ngcuka’s appointment a tactical game to cover the tracks around the arms deal saga?

South African politics is complex. Mlambo-Ngcuka must not underestimate the tasks ahead of her, particularly the African mission, of which her predecessor understood the dynamics so well and performed his tasks with distinction.

The new deputy president does not convince as a second-in-command of a complex country such as South Africa; she is just a position filler without the necessary tools and personality. She is a caretaker: but for how long?

Women need to be tactically delayed to occupy senior positions so that they really become equal to the task. Mlambo-Ngcuka’s appointment is a slap in the face. — Lwazi Kweza, Tshwane

Appalled

Having been a purchaser of your august newspaper for some years, I am appalled by the miserable one sports page (if you knock off the advertisments and mastheads) that you featured in last week’s edition.

This is unacceptable, particularly in light of the amount of sport currently on the go involving (or directly affecting) South Africans.

Furthermore, the newpaper’s revamped television listings defy description when compared with previous editions. Previously, the listings gave insight and listed the actors starring in programmes.

I would expect more of the (previous) same from the premium-priced Mail & Guardian! — Mike Armstrong

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