August 7 to 13 2009

Cele leaves me cold

Our police service has more than its share of thugs — witness the number of deaths in police custody and in the course of arrests, the uncontested reports of the brutal treatment, including rape, of prisoners whose only crime is that they cannot afford bail and the overreaction — teargas and rubber bullets — to legitimate protests by homeless people.

The appointment of Bheki Cele as the new commissioner of police will do nothing to change this. He is a fully paid-up member of the ‘flog ’em, hang ’em” brigade and quite obviously relishes such an approach — an approach that can lead only to more violence, where Cele will be in his element.

I had some dealings with him in the early 1990s, particularly on behalf of a young MK cadre, Fraser Diliza Shamase. I found Cele rude, arrogant, ill-informed, perhaps a little intellectually challenged and totally unconcerned about this young man’s plight. He was full of concern only for himself, of whom he had — and probably will now have even more so — a very high opinion.

Shamase, perhaps a little naively, devoted the best part of his short life to the so-called armed struggle (which even Joe Slovo admitted was really only ‘armed propaganda”). But his body did bear the scars of his engagement in actual combat, unlike those who are still looking for their machine guns.

He lost an eye thanks to a bloodthirsty policeman of the kind Cele approves. My young son — far less queasy than I am — was left to care for him. Cele was not interested.

I have met many nasty, and maybe some evil, people in my time but I have never met a more personally repulsive person than Cele.

He even edges out Jimmy Kruger, the man who was ‘left cold” by Steve Biko’s death at the hands of tough policemen.

Cele has said that he will be tough. What else could he be? He knows nothing else. But his toughness can lead only to more deaths, not only of criminals but also of policemen and policewomen. Wearing a panama hat is not going to soften his image, let alone his practice.

I am not given to predictions, but don’t be surprised when you soon see Cele in full battle uniform, just as Jackie Selebi, having said that he was not a policeman, soon bedecked himself in gold braid. — Cosmas Desmond

Many in the media have responded with their usual disapproval to the appointment of Bheki Cele as the national police commissioner.

The media has made numerous calls for our government to deal with crime as a priority, so I find it very deceitful on the part of the media, their commentators and their handlers in the form of the DA and the Congress of the People to say now the government should not appoint someone it believes will deal with crime decisively.

During the elections the opposition made an issue of crime, but when the government provides leadership in this context, it is seen as playing a so-called political-appointment game. But the position of the national police commissioner is of its very nature a political position.

Do the media and the opposition expect Comrade Jacob Zuma to appoint Archbishop Desmond Tutu as our crime-buster?

The DA and its sister political gang, Cope, say the president is appointing people based on their political allegiance. What nonsense! It cannot work to appoint anybody outside the ranks of the ANC, because the ANC is the ruling party.

As South Africans, we must support the national commissioner.

We should all say, as we said many years ago: ‘One murderer, one bullet.” — Kaizer Mohau, Potchefstroom

Fat or not so fat?

Mandy Rossouw’s article ‘The Fat of the Land” (July 31), insinuating that South African politicians do not deserve their perks, cannot go unchallenged.

The expenditure she noted in her article is standard practice in South Africa and many democracies around the world.

The perks received by our political leaders are more or less the same as the benefits many managers receive in the private sector. Our leaders’ perks come nowhere near what corporate executives in this country receive. (I hope in the near future Rossouw will undress corporate executives as she did our political leaders).

Why does she treat political leaders as if they do not work for these perks? Being a politician comes with many responsibilities and sacrifices. It means that your life and that of your family are always at risk — anyone who doubts this can look at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission files.

South Africa’s human rights record, economic performance and crime statistics are often compared with those of Western countries.

May I ask this righteous lady a favour? Compare our politicians’ perks with those of Western countries. She will be surprised to find out how much our politicians lag behind! — Siyabonga Seme, Cape Town

A review of the Ministerial Handbook is a good idea. A reconsideration was sparked by the recent controversial purchase of vehicles worth more than a million rand by Communication Minister Siphiwe Nyanda and Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga, who used the handbook to defend their purchases.

First it was the Democratic Alliance that called for a second look at this provision.

Some legal experts followed suit. The DA said that in difficult financial times, when thousands of South Africans are losing their jobs, public representatives should know better than to go on such spending sprees.

It also told reporters that in the DA-led Western Cape the cabinet has agreed unanimously not spend a cent on new cars but will use those inherited from their predecessors. Good example.

We do not expect ministers to drive bicycles or skorokoros.

But why should they have entertainment systems in their official cars, as was reported in the case of Nyanda?

Can’t we follow in the footsteps of Nelson Mandela who, as president, asked for his salary to be decreased because he felt it was too much?

The late president of Burkina Faso, Thomas Sankara, once said that the problem with Africans is that they received political power from their colonisers.

Although they respect their ancestors and honour their culture, mentally they are still colonised.

Our leaders seem to want to prove they are not inferior.

Sadly, this is done at the expense of their fellow human beings. — Abongwe Kobokana, Cape Town

Mona was misrepresented

I am astonished by the misrepresentation in your article ‘Zuma’s spin doctor in bribery scandal” (July 10).

Your claim that Vusi Mona was present in a meeting at Ernest Khosa’s house where a bribe was solicited and that Mona put pressure on Moss Mashamaite to pay a bribe is one based on Mashamaite’s affidavit. The article seems to portray Mashamaite as a saint. Furthermore, it fails to take into account relevant court proceedings on this matter.

Had this been taken into account, you would have noted that the state’s own witness contradicted Mashamaite’s version that money paid to Khosa was a bribe and submitted evidence to that effect. Not only has the defence denied that the so-called meeting to solicit a bribe took place, but the defence also produced a logbook proving that no such meeting took place. Mashamaite was also presented with a letter he wrote to Mona confirming Mona was not the owner of Rainbow Kwanda at the time of the tender.

Court records also show that Mashamaite is actually a fugitive from the law who skipped bail and went to the United States after he was charged with fraud involving running a pyramid scheme 10 years ago. The state has been aware of this. The defence has asked the court that no witness should mention Mona’s name unless he is to be called by the state to corroborate the information in such a version.

The court has thus far accepted the defence’s application. Mona may feature prominently in Mashamaite’s affidavit, but not in the court proceedings.

The question is: why would you ignore other forms of evidence presented in court when such is available to you? African Eye News [co-authors of the article] have had a correspondent in court throughout the trial. —Gezani Maluleke, defence attorney, Khosa and Soko trial

PBMR OK

We cannot allow Keith Gottschalk’s alleged ‘bombshell facts” about the Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR) to go unchallenged (July 31).
He claims xenon results in ‘100 000 times more radioactive gas escaping than in conventional reactors”.

The truth is that the PBMR’s xenon release is very low, even compared with standard reactors where there are special containers to allow the radioactive gas to decay before being released. Xenon is extremely well contained in the PBMR’s coated particles. In fact, the quantities are so low that if every bit were released to the environment, the resulting dose would not come anywhere near the allowed value set by the National Nuclear Regulator.

Gottschalk also claims the volume of the PBMR’s spent fuel is 10times that of the radioactive waste of any other atomic reactor. Because of the higher burn-up of its fuel, the PBMR actually produces less waste per MWh than a conventional reactor.

The excellent packaging of the uranium in the fuel pebbles means we can keep it in the form it was when it went into the reactor, rather than reprocessing it (light-water reactor fuel cannot be stored permanently without reprocessing).

Gottschalk’s other remarks ­indicate he does not have a full grasp of the PBMR technology. We invite him to spend some time with our engineers and scientists to avail himself of the facts. — Lorna Skhosana, communications manager, Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (Pty) Ltd

Ntsaluba is a man of integrity

I am deeply disturbed by the article ‘Nehawu protests against DG” (July 24). It reports allegations against the director general of international relations and cooperation, allegations that cast serious aspersions on his integrity and character. The allegations are untested, unsupported by facts or process and are scurrilous to say the least.

Nowhere in the article do I detect any attempt to ascertain the vera-city of the allegations, except a one-liner from the spokesperson of the department, who is obviously not in a position to comment. I think it is reprehensible that your reporter and indeed the editor of your newspaper should publish such untested and wild allegations.

The matters raised by certain Nehawu members are the subject of an internal process and are receiving attention in the department. During that process, any allegations that have veracity will be pursued and those with no substance will be dealt with according to the law and the regulations that govern our ­public service and our country.

Dr Ayanda Ntsabula has served his country with distinction in many areas of work: during the apartheid years as an activist; since 1994 in various government positions; and since 2003 as director general of foreign affairs, now international relations and cooperation. I have known him and worked with him since my appointment to this position five years ago and have never had any reason to doubt his integrity.

Now the report casts him in an extremely unfavourable light, without process or evidence to support the allegations. He is tarred with the same brush as all ‘corrupt” civil servants. Reporting allegations from one party in a dispute is not proper journalism.

The South African civil service needs good senior managers, hard-working people of integrity and intelligence and I believe Ntsaluba is one of those. If we are to retain people of such a calibre we simply cannot go reporting any untested allegation that is doing the rounds. In addition, there are some blatant inaccuracies in your story. All the ambassadors you mention as having been recalled are in fact in their posts. — Sue van der Merwe, deputy minister of international relations and cooperation

M&G responds: We published a report on Nehawu’s protest against Ntsaluba, including their allegations against him, which we made clear were untested and subject to departmental investigation. We also noted that one of the union’s objections to Ntsaluba was his perceived closeness to Cope.

Beware Zulufication

South Africa must analyse objectively President Jacob Zuma’s new appointments. Some puzzle progressives, including many sober people in the ruling party.

Zuma’s strategy was clear: accommodate Mbeki-ites to avoid defections to the Congress of the People. Twenty-eight deputy ministers were appointed. Travelgate MPs were rewarded.

Zuma did not appoint a single African to head a financial or economic department. This has created an impression that Africans can’t run such departments.

We also see the ‘Zulufication” of the intelligence, security organs and judiciary. Rumours are that a judge from KwaZulu-Natal will head the National Prosecuting Authority. The chief justice will either be Western Cape Judge President John Hlope or Judge Sandile Ngcobo. Already we have Nathi Mthethwa (minister of police), Siyabonga Cwele (minister of intelligence) and Jeff Radebe (minister of justice). Bheki Cele is now the national commissioner of police. This arrangement will please conservative Zulus, but might appear tribalist to progressives.

We need strong leaders who can withstand attempts to be corrupted. Already there is excitement among corruption lords that the new regime is more concerned about petty crimes than about organised crime.

We must be extremely vigilant. A banana republic does not announce its arrival — it just pounces. In isiZulu we say: ‘Itshe ligaya ngomunye umhlathi” [There’s a new sheriff in town]. — Siyanda Mhlongo, KwaDukuza

Sorry, Palesa — we’re feudal

I sympathise with Palesa Morudu (‘A day in the life of a wannabee”, July 31). Such is life in a command economy. It works by feudal practices, patronage, decisions based not on how good your business is but on what you can deliver to your patron. The princes and lords of these systems go around flaunting their high-and-mighty lifestyles, often with police clearing their way with flashing blue lights.

Sorry, Palesa, but of course you did not vote them into power, did you?

Not to worry, inevitably there will be a revolution that will bring about a more efficient society. Oops, I forgot — we already had that! — ‘Tiresias”

In brief

The DA is grossly mistaken if it thinks it is promoting the cause of democracy in South Africa by opposing the expropriation of natural areas such as the Sentinel, as reported by Timothy Jacobs (Letters, July 31). All natural areas in the Cape Peninsula should be removed from the money-making process through expropriation by the state, thus preserving them from de-gradation by profit-hungry owners.

In the cause of every individual’s right to enjoyment of these natural assets the DA should be promoting, not opposing, expropriation. Perhaps disclosure of the DA’s sources of party funding would explain its idiotic stance on this. — Oliver Price, Cape Town
 

Your readers need to know that the Nissan Navaras they purchase off the showroom floor are, in reality, a fairly distant cousin of the Nissan Navaras that excelled in the South American Dakar rally earlier this year (Motoring, July 24). This is the norm with most motorsport vehicles. Having said that, the Nissan motor­sport department builds excellent racing Navaras which are in demand worldwide and dominate the South African off-road racing circuits to the point of boredom. — Tony Ball, Durban

I look forward to Nikiwe Bikitsha every week. She is smart, provocative, fresh and sassy. Pay no mind to the Mother Grundies! — Lizanne Barnett