March 6 to 12 2009

Just say you’re sorry, Allan

Dear Allan,

As an old admirer I am glad you have agreed, albeit rather in the manner of Julius Caesar, to accept Cope’s nomination as its candidate for premier of the Western Cape.

A number of your old friends and colleagues, particularly those who eagerly followed you into the United Democratic Front, are, however, disappointed because you do not appreciate the importance of a public apology for having abused the trust of donors and misused donations.

You received large sums because of the esteem you acquired as president of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches. When your wrongdoing was discovered you were convicted on counts of fraud and theft for the embezzlement of funds.

Those who have read the court record think you were fortunate not to have been convicted on more counts than you were.

You say you used money for ‘the struggle” but the question arises: why did you not enter the witness box and say that? Did you fear cross-examination? By the time of your trial the recipients of such money were unlikely to be punished by the state.

Allan, you did wrong. Yes, you have endured the humiliation of public disgrace, served part of your prison sentence and were pardoned by then president Thabo Mbeki. That appears to be a sufficient criterion for political leadership in the eyes of, for instance, Mosiuoa Lekota. But in the minds of those who hoped that in the New South Africa we would choose honourable representatives of whom we can be proud, who will be role models for the young, it is definitely not enough.

Even at this late stage can you not find the humility to say you did wrong? You owe the donors, the intended recipients and us, the South African people, an apology. If you do apologise, we will forgive you and wish you success in your political work. — Dot Cleminshaw, Newlands

Chief Pallo?

In his latest retort (‘Eager editors encourage gossip”, Letters, February 27), Arts and Culture Minister Pallo Jordan is no longer defending President Kgalema Motlanthe’s right to privacy. He is defending his own ego.

Apparently the main reason Jordan is writing back is that he won’t allow the debate to die down without his having the final say. He seems to think of himself as a chief in a traditional community. Unfortunately for Jordan, he is no chief and some of us, the readers, won’t treat him as such.

Jordan obviously misses the point of Motlanthe’s so-called private life making headlines. And the point is: Motlanthe is no ordinary citizen. He is president of the republic with enough powers to make decisions that have an impact on our lives.

By virtue of his being head of state, Motlanthe is also entitled to certain privileges, paid for by us taxpayers. Needless to say, the wife of a president becomes first lady and, when we have a president who lives like an enigma, the media have every right to dig for information.

When this information appears to be damaging, skilful politicians such as Jordan start doing damage control. Apparently Jordan’s magic formula for damage control is to shift the blame — to the media, which appears to be the most convenient scapegoat for politicians when they find themselves in trouble.

Jordan says his ‘purpose is to close down [gossip-mongering and its audience], not only to protect Motlanthe but also the principle that private space must be exactly that”. Jordan formulates a principle and expects everyone to live by it.

I do not think we, the voters and taxpayers, must allow any of our leaders to live a lie. If the president has a troubled personal, financial or family life, we must not be blamed for wanting to know about it. — Mphatjie Monareng, Pretoria North

Pallo Jordan’s misrepresentations of the threatened impeachment of Bill Clinton are beginning to irritate me. Thank heavens he is only minister of arts and culture, not logic and reason. The reason this matter was regarded very seriously by the American public was not because Bill was having a ‘middle-aged fling”, but because he, the president of the United States, lied about it — to his people and presumably to his wife. — Lyndall Beddy, Plettenberg Bay

A moral molehill

The sight of some of our political parties scrabbling to attain (or regain?) the ‘moral high ground” (February 27) would be hysterical if it were not so pitiful and outright scary. How quickly the moral mountain bestrode by Chris Hani, Oliver Tambo, Walter Sisulu, Nelson Mandela and others has been eroded by the lies and venality of our politicians to the sorry and crumbling molehill it is today.

For the ANC the decline has been well documented, one of the latest manifestations being the inclusion of Winnie Madikizela as number five on its parliamentary list for the coming elections. This is not only a legal, constitutional and moral issue. Not only has she been convicted of fraud but she has also been deeply tainted by association with a number of very troubling events.

Of course she is not alone on the list in terms of questionable integrity. For Cope, the selection of ‘squeaky-clean” Mvume Dandala cannot sweeten the sour taste left by its embrace of Allan Boesak, Peter Marais and others of doubtful probity.

That the ANC is now exposing the dubious pasts of several Cope members is of course both ironic and deeply hypocritical. But what can we expect as they both sink to the lowest depths of political engagement in their pursuit of power? For this is the real issue — power.

Until we can re-imagine and re-invent politics, from a ‘politics of power” to a ‘politics of partnership and representation” (Barack Obama — yes, that man again), we have little choice but to accept the essential if unpalatable truth that we can never place real trust in our politicians.

The ‘politics of power” is killing our sisters and brothers in Zimbabwe; it is hanging like a Sword of Damocles over the heads of our cousins from Kenya to Columbia; it ripped apart Yugoslavia and so many other countries; it has turned Italy into a one-man state.

And we should not let anyone kid us that ‘we have democracy”. We have made the first few important, if faltering, steps in that direction, but like just about everyone else we have a long, long, long way to go to achieve true democracy (if indeed it is possible at all). Meanwhile, the politicians, like moles, push the dirt up but themselves stay underground. Frankly, the moral position of most of our, and other, politicians is subterranean. — Lawrence Sisitka, Grahamstown

Homeopathy does work

In ‘A bittersweet remedy” (February 13) Leonie Joubert uncritically colludes with the pharmaceutical companies whose onslaught on homeopathy cites the same tired arguments about efficacy studies and the placebo effect. I appreciate her discussion of her own experience, but research that goes further than these tired, invested arguments would better suit the calibre of your paper.

I suggest investigating the inexpensive production of homeopathic remedies and its potential for rural clinic-based medicine. Take a look at its widespread successful use in India and you will see why the pharmaceutical companies want to limit access to this truly revolutionary approach to health and healing.

Homeopathy is judged by Joubert according to the paradigms of allopathic medicine, when it belongs in another genre altogether, hence the inaccuracy of the moribund discussion of nil residue of original substances in homeopathic remedies. This is not how homeopathy works or claims to work. Arguing against its inclusion in medical aid coverage is an infringement on our rights to a healing method of choice.

Homeopathy undoubtedly works — for me and many others. I come from a fourth-generation homeopathic family. Flu, persistent earaches, grommets, eczema, allergies, asthma, ADD/ADHD are unknown among the children in our family and neither the children nor myself have ever taken an antibiotic. At 46, I have never suffered from PMS, cysts, nor any of the (considered normal) little gynecological ups and downs that cost my peers time, money and pain. My husband tore all the ligaments in his knees in a skiing accident a few years ago, refused the ‘absolutely essential” surgery, went for homeopathic treatment and is still skiing, Nordic-walking and hiking without a twinge at age 59.

I have surprised radiologists and a breast surgeon poised to remove a suspicious lump in my breast, evident over months, by asking for a two-day break and coming back with no trace of said lump after homeopathic treatment.

Homeopathy has given my family control over our own health and costs us virtually nothing. As a development activist, I know it has potential to make a huge difference to the health of poor communities. — Chantelle Wyley, Cape Town

Shoddy journalism

The M&G‘s use of ‘sources” as justification for peddling untruths should not go unchallenged. In ‘ANC’s dirty war against Cope” (February 27) you accuse the ANC of a malicious media campaign against certain Cope leaders.

Based on a portion of a document leaked to the M&G by unknown sources, the story is meant to portray ANC leaders as schemers. But it fails to explain how the ANC stands to benefit by such cheap campaigns.

It is public knowledge that Cope’s Terror Lekota was embroiled in controversy over his failure to properly disclose assets in Parliament; his deputy Mbhazima Shilowa was once in trouble with the law over his failure to maintain his child.

Suggesting that the ANC is working to get these known facts rehashed in the media boggles the mind.

Though the ANC has an obligation to expose political charlatans masquerading as moral custodians, it understands that rehashing well-documented misdeeds of opposition leaders would not serve any purpose. — Clive Ndou, ANC caucus

I was disappointed by the quality of ‘ANC’s dirty war on Cope”. It is poor journalistic practice to lead with a story without an attribution to a named source. In this climate, agendas, rumours and hatchet jobs abound and the M&G seems to have fallen victim to this gutter-press practice. — Marion Harning, Port Elizabeth

Poor example

Rapulane Tabane (‘I would die for the party”, February 20) uses anecdotes to bring alive information about trends.

This style is best used as an illustration of points made in a scientifically conducted study or survey. Tabane’s story lacks this basis.

Take a statement by my domestic worker neighbour, who, mobilising her family to register to vote, said, ‘Masiyovota, siyeke lo usaleqwa ngamapolisa [Let’s go vote and leave this one who is still being chased by the police],” an apparent reference to Jacob Zuma. Should I then conclude that opposition parties have been effective in mobilising the vote against Zuma and the ANC? — Kay Sidzumo, Pretoria

In brief

Sean Muller argues that South African expats, having abandoned their country, can no longer ask for any rights in return (‘Equal voice for expats at the expense of the voiceless”, February 27) and that they should forfeit their constitutional right to vote. He asks what expats offer their country in return. I have one question for Muller: what do the thousands of prisoners in our country offer in return or contribute to our society? — Richard McLaverty, Eshowe

Magdalene Moonsamy is obviously a blindly loyal and completely indoctrinated ANC Youth League comrade (‘Motoring with Malema’s mouth”, February 27). It was disheartening to see an otherwise intelligent woman describing Julius Malema’s behaviour as ‘defending democracy”. The man doesn’t know the meaning of the word. — N Dlamini, Mpumalanga

No surprise that Schabir Shaik will not serve anywhere near his full prison term. Only those on the brink of death should be released for reasons of ill-health, but I don’t think Shaik will face the bodily corruption of death soon. I wish him a long life to prove that money can buy you health, happiness and freedom in our country. We might even be able to add high office to the list. – Mike Meekin