July 4 to 11 2008

And we declare —

Dear Kader Asmal,
I fully support your declaration in defence of the Constitution. I believe that there are thousands of South Africans who share your concerns and will support your call. Thousands have marched, submitted declarations and have demonstrated (some unfortunately violently) throughout the length and breadth of this land. People have voiced their concerns about job losses, crime, corruption in our civil service and big business, and lack of delivery.

Now you have added your voice to the howl of criticism of what some have termed the ”irresponsible” actions of people who you and I would address as our comrades. The time has come for us to distinguish between good and bad comrades and assert our rights as citizens. We need to convene a national indaba where civil society can impress on our political formations, in particular the ANC leadership, our concerns about the state of our justice system, the growing inequality in our society, Zimbabwe, the rapidly dysfunctional education and health systems, the endemic violence, deteriorating race relations, xenophobia and, most important of all, growing poverty and unemployment.

We need to demonstrate that we care, that we need an ongoing but structured conversation to begin addressing these problems. We need to rededicate ourselves as a people to the eradication of inequality and poverty, to fight racism and all forms of discrimination, and to ensure that we build sound educational, health and social-welfare systems. Declarations must translate into a new commitment to building national unity. Let’s work towards a national indaba. — Omar Badsha

I endorse this declaration. These leaders (ANC Youth League and Cosatu) are shameful. They should use the right platform to address their issues, not to promote killing. I don’t respect these guys. They should be ashamed of themselves. — Solly Bopape

Come on! Yet another puffed-up, pious grand declaration? Why bother? The members of Asmal’s own party who have offended him and mocked his equally pious Constitution aren’t going to care a fig for all these bits of paper. At least the Constitution has the force of law. Asmal’s latest declaration is mere self-indulgent claptrap. He would do far better to speak to his own stumbling party leadership and tell them they’re all doing a truly dreadful job of upholding the law — so bad, in fact, that the entire nation is living under siege by lawbreakers, no matter how grand the Constitution looks on paper. — Jon Low

All these paper tigers carving their names on to pulped sheets have, as always, been so busy with their images they seem to have missed, deliberately perhaps, the thrust of the words ”We will kill”. Who exactly will they kill? Democratic Alliance members? They have little choice on Zuma. No need to kill them. Inkatha? As well, little choice. ACDP? The rest of the minority parties? Nope. The public at large? Seems unlikely. So who then will they kill? Only those in the ANC left to kill. — Des Currie

I support this declaration irrespective of whether by itself it will change anything. The declaration calls on people to recommit themselves to actively defend the values of the Constitution in the face of the cheapening of South Africa’s struggle by a new generation of opportunist ”leadership”. It implicitly highlights the accelerating Zanufication of the ANC and the increasing tendency to mask policy implementation failures with aggressive discourse. We urgently need a new generation of ethical leadership — people who can redirect and strengthen our faltering institutions and innovate to overcome our mounting social and development deficit. — Rick de Satge

I entirely subscribe to Prof Asmal’s explanation of the issue and his conclusions. It does not deny youth or trade union leaders’ right to be passionate about their convictions. It asserts only that nothing prevents us from expressing passionate views by way of the processes and institutions that were so painstakingly crafted in 1991-1993 and embodied in the Constitution. We are streets ahead of many countries in terms of democratic space. We have huge unsolved problems and need to use that democratic space wisely in seeking to resolve our problems — not resort to thuggish threats. — Darcy du Toit

I support the declaration because I deeply believe in tolerance, pluralism and non-violent and creative management of conflict. I am committed to our Constitution and believe that it is the bedrock that can secure our collective future in South Africa. — David Shandler

Kadar Asmal is at best a populist and at worst an apologist for the establishment. He remained silent when a minister of police said the police should shoot to kill robbers. If he abhors violence out of principle and conviction, he should do so consistently. — Bobo Kaote

I support this declaration 100%, although it worries me that it is comes from the same political party and tripartite alliance that are guilty of making these treasonous, inflammatory statements in the first place! It all smacks of extremely poor management and communication skills. Our leaders have let us down as a nation. Shame on the lot of you! — Jan Beeton

I support Kader Asmal’s petition without reservation. My comments are those of a traditional ANC supporter and those of a person with a trade-unionist background, incensed that another trade unionist could do something that undermines our gains and sets a poor example for our youth.

I joined the struggle 37 years ago. In the tradition of the ANC I support its elected leadership. We have a great opportunity to go to the electorate next year with a strong pro-poor message, to promote a united South Africa and stop crime and violence. Within the movement this can happen only if we seize this time to heal divisions.

South Africa needs us to renew a waning confidence in the ANC. It needs an ANC that can unite our ­people across racial and ethnic divides and bridge the chasm between haves and have-nots. There is no need to be rattling sabres or indulging in war talk or martyrdom talk. This is particularly irresponsible in a climate of intolerance, tension and violence. OR Tambo would have had Comrades Malema and Vavi on the carpet for the unwise words uttered. I witnessed him do just that on numerous occasions when comrades overstepped the mark.

The ANC president has a case before the courts and that is where the case belongs. Malema’s statement was clearly a case of youthful immaturity, lack of political education and a lack of understanding of the deeper principles of the ANC. In the case of Comrade Vavi immaturity cannot be argued. Additionally, his utterances occurred after senior voices in the ANC and the Human Rights Commission had already expressed discomfort with Comrade Malema’s statement and after Comrade Malema had stated that he had learned that he needs to choose his words more carefully. Comrade Vavi made a contemptuous, calculated and inflammatory statement with sectarian overtones that is harmful to the ANC, harmful to the ANC president and harmful to South Africa and all that our people have achieved through the struggle. In the old days we would have equated this with provocateurs. Come on, Comrade Vavi, it’s not too late to show some real leadership.

I repeat that I support the declaration unreservedly. South Africans across political divides must stand together in holding to the founding principles of post-apartheid South Africa. — Patric Tariq Mellet

The tremendous strides our country made in the early days of change are being subjected to tests beyond the imagination. We have a vote — we had all better use it very wisely. — Gavin Tonks

I fully endorse the sentiments expressed by Asmal. It is very disturbing when key figures threaten the fundamental premises of our Constitution: the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary. — Don O’Dougherty

I was celebrating Nelson Mandela’s birthday and legacy in Hyde Park, London, three days ago, with my two South African children and wife, and felt the need to give our support to Asmal’s appeal — he always acts as the necessary whistleblower. — Emanuele Giovannetti, professor of economics, University of Verona, formerly professor at UCT

Our leaders have failed us

Africa never learns. Africa will never grow. Unfortunately history is not kind to those who ignore it. Africa’s man-made tragedies could have been averted had our leaders paid more attention to the warning signs. Innocent people are paying a heavy price with their lives. Our leaders could have done more to prevent the recent xeno­phobic violence in South Africa and the political mayhem in Zimbabwe. It was just a matter of when the ticking time bombs would explode.

A year ago — July 19 2007, to be exact — the Mail & Guardian had a ”red alert” editorial warning about people’s anger over poor service delivery: ”service-delivery protests are a seismograph charting the anger of desperate people whose government is failing them — however you count the protests; the indicators are now in the red”. As usual these warnings were ignored by the powers that be.

A year later — May 19 2008 — a Mozambican immigrant was burned by the residents of Ramaphosa squatter camp in Gauteng during the xenophobic attacks. The target of people’s anger may have changed from ANC councillors to foreigners, but the source of their resentment is the same: desperate people whose government is failing them.

This failure to avoid disaster on the part of the leadership is due to ostrich mentality — the belief that if you ignore a problem long enough it will simply disappear. This is the same mindset that was blind to Robert Mugabe’s early signs of dictatorship and brutality. African leaders kept quiet as his sponsored war ­veterans sowed a reign of terror in 2001. Quiet diplomacy over truth has rendered Zimbabwe anarchic. Zimbabwe’s downfall is a collective product of myopic African leadership. The future generations will wonder how we could let this happen.

We did nothing to stop the rot from spreading. Now all the indicators are in the red. No water. No food. No jobs. No health. No future. Democracy is an illusion in that country. Zimbabwe’s tragedy is no longer an African problem but an international crisis like Iraq. Who will stop this carnage? — Dr Lucas Ntyintyane, Cresta

Manuel is also to blame

We have crime lines, we have business and neighbourhood watches, we even have marches against crime. But we all know these initiatives are not really going to solve our problem.

I have spent 11 years doing prison ministry. When I analysed each case carefully, in most cases I found broken-down family structures and/or poverty as the main common denominator. If we want to do something about crime, we have to do something about poverty. A rich country like South Africa should be ashamed of itself at the screaming poverty around us. Alexandra is exactly as it was 15 years ago.

For five or six years we have had Trevor Manuel reducing personal income taxes. But he also increased VAT or left it unchanged. So, instead of making the gap between the haves and the have-nots smaller, he has actively made that gap bigger. Instead of using the windfalls to help the poor, he put most of that money back into the hands of the well-to-do.

Why do the people and the media blame Thabo Mbeki for everything? The poor man can only be as good as his advisers. But why is no one putting the blame (for not fighting poverty) where it should go? Why does no one say a bad word about Manuel? — Henry Pool, Silverton

Refunded!
I wish to commend Maya Fisher-French, who reported that banks would pay card refunds for Nationwide airline tickets (June 13). I phoned Nedbank, little expecting to receive a refund. But, eight days later, after forwarding the article to Nedbank’s card division, my account was credited with the price of the two overseas tickets! Many thanks to Fisher-French for reporting the international card rules in her well-informed article. Thanks too to Nedbank, which handled my query and refunded the amount in a professional, efficient manner. Fisher-French was the only journalist in the country to follow up on the Nationwide refund. — Tricia Duligal

In brief

Thabo Mngoma’s letter ”We Need a New Movement” (June 27) is an inspiration. What a contrast of intellect between Julius Malema and Thabo Mngoma! — Lyn Andreou, Pretoria

The best decision I made today was to buy the M&G because it put me in touch again with one of the world’s best cartoonists, Zapiro. — Bill Fuller

Because of his fixation with Israel/Palestine, Ronnie Kasrils overlooks major problems much nearer home (June 27). A well-run intelligence system should have forewarned us about xenophobia. Kasrils claimed he knew what was coming, but President Thabo Mbeki denied he was ever told. — Ivor Davis, Sandton

‘Young women unveil mindsets” (June 13) really serves to promote sexist and backward attitudes, while masquerading as an attempt to promote tolerance and respect towards certain Muslim communities. Opposition to the burka is one step towards the full liberation of women. — Alex Myers, Newlands

I personally know Chinese people who had to live in Eersterus under apartheid rules. Good for them to have BEE status. — JC Kotze

Please dispel the myth that Woolworths is so wonderful (Greening the Future, June 6). Its organic produce is cancelled out by what is flown in (pasta from Italy, and so on). The goods may be fresh but the packaging is a nightmare; not all of it is recyclable. — Mary van der Riet