February 15 to 21 2008

Our hope is in Simba

I always knew Zimbabweans loved and respected Simba Makoni, but I only realised how much when he announced his intention to run for the presidency.

A few days ago I met a middle-aged woman who had registered as a voter because of Makoni’s announcement. She told me she last voted in 1980, when she was 16. She had given up hope in the Zimbabwean electoral system. In Makoni she sees someone who can deliver Zimbabwe from the economic and political mess Robert Mugabe has created.

We have faith in Makoni even though he is Zanu-PF, which the people hate. He does not display the excesses and fanaticism of his party comrades — the violence, insults, the tendency to point fingers at others when faced with problems. He is not a war veteran and maybe that’s also why people love him.

The trouble is he’s got just over a month to tell the country he’s available. That won’t be a problem for urban voters, but rural voters are a different matter. With the help of war veterans and the clandestinely trained youth militias, Mugabe will bully rural people into voting for him.

But stealing the vote from Makoni will be harder than it was with Morgan Tsvangirai; people voted for Tsvangirai out of desperation, in the spirit of ‘anything is better than Mugabe”.

Poor Tsvangirai thinks he’s still the people’s darling; today’s Chronicle quoted him saying Makoni does not have the people’s mandate. With luck Zimbawean will now troop to the polling stations and we might see some change. — Shepherd Mandhlazi, Bulawayo

Makoni’s announcement is a welcome move for the good and pride of our nation. For a long time Zanu-PF has owned Zimbabwe’s politics in the person of Mugabe. The views of an individual became the culture of a political party and pene-trated every corner of the country, leading to its near-collapse.

The MDC brought a different thinking and Zimbabeans were hopeful we were heading for real change. But this has waned over the years because of the MDC’s infighting, splits and dictatorial tendencies. People started to fear Bob part two. The MDC has degenerated into hero-worshipping its leaders, like Zanu-PF.

Makoni brings an opportunity for new thinking and leadership. We need leaders who are selfless, accountable and able to work with the rest of the world. At present there is no rule of law or effective government in Zimbabwe.

He should challenge the MDC to change from being an anti-Mugabe party to putting what it has to offer on the table. He has a flexible mind, has held various leadership positions in Zimbabwe and abroad and is untainted by corruption.

All progressive forces should recognise Makoni and combine for a new Zimbabwe. — Mabutho Ndlovu

The two MDC factions must unite and fight the oppressor, Mugabe, for the sake of Zimbabwean democracy and the lives of millions of Zimbabweans.

Mugabe has been returned in several elections but nothing has changed. Now he is extracting more votes from rural areas by giving chiefs cars.

Zimbabwean voters, who alone have the power to end his regime, should ask themselves the following questions: how many more people will have to jump the border to survive if he wins? Has the economy ever improved under him? Why has he not allowed an independent electoral commission? Is he prepared to follow democratic rule? — Mbulaheni Tangananalo, Limpopo

It is fascinating that the South African government has done everything in its power not to ruffle Mugabe’s feathers, through its ‘quiet diplomacy”, while not hesitating to criticise the Kenyan government’s handling of Cyril Ramaphosa.

Elections in both countries have been questionable, but Mugabe gets the quiet treatment while the Kibaki government is not recognised. Double standards! — Wayne Harris, Nairobi

Too much nest-feathering

We read that Eskom chairperson Valli Moosa is embroiled in a ‘R38-billion tender conflict” (February 8) at a time when South Africa is experiencing an energy crisis.

Nuclear plants are seldom, if ever, completed on time or without large budget overuns, while the decommissioning costs of nuclear plants makes their power even more expensive.

In addition, if the social and environmental costs of coal are built into the equation, coal-fired power stations are a non-starter.

The lead time for a gas turbine is 18 months and solar and wind energy 12 to 18 months, as opposed to seven to nine years for the coal and nuclear options.

Wind energy is internationally recognised as the most competitive alternative, while Nanosolar from Silicon Valley has just announced it can reduce the cost of photovoltaic solar units by 80% using a new manufacturing process.

Something is very, very wrong. Too many vested interests are feathering their nests in South Africa. — Andrew Taynton, Linkhills

Alternative energy is more expensive than burning coal, but in an age of global warming, why is Eksom not factoring in the cost to the environment? Has the minerals and energy department quantified in rands the negative impact of each kilowatt on our atmosphere (carbon dioxide) and water (acidified by the coal mines)?

Finding cheaper alternatives would mean opening the market to the private sector, investing in cleaner alternatives and supplying solar panels for new houses instead of extending the grid.

But the game might be more complicated. Is the ANC unwilling to end Eskom’s monopoly because party finances, and the BEE elite, stand to gain from it? — Pierre-Louis Lemercier, Nelspruit

Zuma a hypocrite

If that hypocrite Jacob Zuma wants a referendum on the death penalty, which would involve changing the Constitution, why is he not calling for one on the dismantling of the Scorpions?

The ANC’s 2 500 delegates at Polokwane and less than 1,4-million members cannot tell 48-million South Africans what to do on this issue.

The people who want the Scorpions disbanded have one motive: they are corrupt and thieves. — Mhlobo Gunguluzi, Johannesburg

Shouldn’t we, in the interests of expediency and the prevention of civil disorder, leave Zuma be, sweep the mess under the carpet and be done with it? For the greater good, why not give all those who illicitly gained immunity from further prosecution? — Carl Werth, Pretoria

‘Creative’ reading of Bible

Shaun de Waal’s claim that the Bible might sanction same-sex unions requires him to be very creative in his interpretation of the passages he quotes (February 8).

He quotes Saul saying to David ‘thou shalt be my son-in-law a second time” as evidence of the latter’s homosexual relationship with Jonathan.

The context is 1 Samuel 18, in which Saul offers his eldest daughter, Merab, as David’s wife, because he is worried about her popularity. But he goes back on his word and marries her off to Adriel the Meholathite.

In verse 21 he offers David his youngest daughter, Michal, thinking to himself: ‘I will give her to him so that she may be a snare to him and so that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” He then says to David: ‘Now you have a second opportunity to become my son-in-law.”

De Waal also claims the word ‘covenant” in the context of David’s relationship with Jonathan could mean a marriage covenant. This is far-fetched. Covenants were common in the near Middle East; for example, God makes a covenant with Abraham, Isaac and others. Clearly, these were not marriages. — Chris Morley, Addo

Comments by Anglican Church leaders on shariah law and homosexuality suggest the development of a spiritual crisis that has the potential not only to split that church, but also to harm Christianity in general.

The remarks of Anglican Bishop James Jones have falsely led De Waal to believe ‘questions may be raised about the scriptural basis for Christian homophobia [sic]”. Jones claims the Bible contains examples ‘of love between two people of the same gender”. He sees things that aren’t there.

His example of Jesus’s relationship with John borders on blasphemy, but seems a desperate attempt by a beleaguered liberal Western church to convince its African half of the merit of gay unions and church functionaries.

Finally: homophobia is defined in the Oxford dictionary as ‘the hatred or fear of homosexuals”. Few Christians who label an active homosexual lifestyle ungodly do so out of fear or hatred. They do so out of sincere ‘spiritual correctness”. It’s the sin they hate, not the sinner. — Robert de Neef, Howick

Why Sunday, Mbalula?

ANC Youth League leader Fikile Mbalula has spent a large amount of time in office empowering himself and Jacob Zuma, rather than addressing issues that affect the youth. Instead of dismantling the league’s provincial structures, he should be focusing on the high fees of tertiary institutions and youth joblessness.

I would like him to explain how imposing a midnight curfew on nightclubs and banning alcohol sales on Sunday would reduce alcohol abuse. Why pick on Sundays, rather than Fridays, Saturdays or public holidays?

People adapt to new situations. What would happen with Mbalula’s proposed restrictions is that abusers would get drunk earlier, or stock up on alcohol on Saturdays.

What would make better sense would be to raise the age at which the youth legally can be sold alcohol.

But the longer-term solution surely lies in increasing the potential of our youth. What about free, compulsory tertiary education, which I, as a taxpayer, would be willing to help fund? Think about that, omnipresent Mbalula! — Thobixhala Phango, Mafikeng

Building capacity

The concerns raised by the Mail & Guardian about Red Cross project funds intended for an HIV/Aids project in KwaZulu-Natal (February 2) have been addressed at the highest level of the society and extensively with the British Red Cross.

The British Red Cross is satisfied with progress since the review and has supported its local affiliate in developing and implementing new financial systems and improving staff capacity.

The British Red Cross has since strengthened its commitment to the SA Red Cross Society in terms of HIV/Aids funding and for institutional capacity-building to the tune of £5-million for the next five years. — Mandisa Kalako-Wiiliams, president, SA Red Cross Society

I did not act in an improper manner

With reference to your story ‘Moosa in R38bn tender conflict”, I would like to make clear that as independent non-executive chairman of Eskom, I have at all times acted in an ethical manner. I have made good corporate governance a keynote of my tenure as chairman.

I reject any suggestion that I, or anyone else, either individually or as part of some broader group, exercised any influence over the selection of suppliers to fulfil the Bravo and Medupi contracts. Eskom has world-class procurement processes, which, given the scale of the Medupi and Bravo contracts, were also subject to independent external review.

I have throughout my career conducted myself with integrity. I have no inclination, or need, at this stage in my life, to act in an improper manner. — Valli Moosa

In brief

A rewritten apartheid history is creeping into the minds of some South Africans. Especially on talk radio, certain whites compare themselves with liberation movement soldiers and other oppressed South Africans by saying ‘we were fighting against communism”. The primary aim of the SADF and police was to maintain white privilege. That cannot be whitewashed. — Anne Hilton, Johannesburg

Graffiti artists will disagree with your one-dimensional perspective on Sharon Sabbagh (February 8). The Northcliff Melville Times recently reported that a Melville school principal gave young graffiti artists an opportunity to work on a school wall. Sabbagh had them arrested. — Jonathan Padavatan, Brixton

Has Zapiro left the country? If so, I’ll follow. Big fan for more than 20 years. — Thomas Knemeyer, Constantia

Mr President, Polokwane witnessed a no-confidence vote in your leadership. We have confidence in Kgalema Motlanthe — please do the right thing and step down. — Sean Bozalek, Grahamstown

For the edification of the SABC newsroom: milk comes from cows, the producers. We, the dairymen, are the cow’s ‘agents”, and we supply the processors (Clover, Parmalat and the 40 thieves) with milk. It was the processors that colluded, not the cows or their agents. — Charlie MacGillivray, Karkloof

Are Zim presidential candidate Simba Makoni and Gauteng Finance Minister Paul Mashatile identical twins separated at birth? I think we should be told. — Vusi Nzapheza