Letter of the week
Where has our culture and respect gone?
As a young adult and a citizen of South Africa, I am worried about the loss of respect and culture in our lives.
Teenagers of our generation do not know their culture. They practice Western ways and they lack the norms and values of our ancestors.
This has resulted to teenage pregnancies, the spread of HIV/AIDS and the loss of respect for our elders. They actually don’t know how to behave around older people.
They live their lives as if they are on television where everything is a fairytale and everyone is at the same level.
In today’s generation there is no spirit of ‘Ubuntu’.
Our people do not help each other any more - instead of helping one another, they kill each other. We must learn from our elders.
It is very sad today because the older people go to our funerals, instead of the children going to their parents’ funerals.
Let us go back to our cultures, respect each other and then we might live long enough to see our grandchildren.
NURSE MABILA
Government must get priorities right
I’m a journalism student and I strongly feel that our government is contributing to the malfunctioning of the South African media by attempting to stop the proper functioning of media houses in our democratic country. These political gurus want their illegal matters never to be identified. As a country we obtained democracy in 1994, which gave every member of the society freedom of expression. Therefore the media must not be prevented from conducting their duties of informing society. The unjust arrest of Sunday Times journalist Mzilikazi Wa Africa clearly indicates that our government has a long way to go in maintaining fair and free functioning of the media. Wa Afrika’s arrest was just a means of intimidation and an endeavour of shutting out effective investigative journalism. The government should rather focus their energies on more important matters - to stop poverty and unemployment which are major challenges facing this country. I believe that there is no editor that can allow a false story to be published in a national newspaper. All the facts laid bare by Wa Afrika are true, but the government is trying to defend its wrongs by arresting journalists. The Hawks should be chasing corruption which exists in our municipalities and do away with unnecessary arrests of journalists. Billions of rands vanish without any development or transformation being made in our society - but police are busy fighting the media. Our government needs to know that they cannot do their wrongs and never be exposed. The sad part of this story is that the court found Wa Africa not guilty of any charges. Our government should start focusing on more crucial issues and leave the media alone.
EMMANUEL PHUMLANI NKWANYANA
Richards Bay
Plaag van ape
Die las van blou ape in Richardsbaai is ’n kwessie wat meer aandag verdien..
Hulle neem eenvoudig jou tuin en huis oor en kan nie wag om by ’n venster in te klim nie.
Dis regtig tyd dat iemand iets omtrent die ape doen. Hulle moet uitgedun word want hulle is beslis oorbevolk. ’n Ander probleem is dat elke tweede huis hulle ook nog voer terwyl daar hope kos in die natuur is. ’n Beroep moet op mense gedoen word, om nie die blou apies te voer nie.
Mense wat bome wil aanplant, moet bome met vrugte kies, dan het die apies ook meer kos.
Selfs ons munisipaliteit kan gerus bietjie minder gemors bome aanplant en meer fokus op wat hier hoort - wat bye, voëls en diere lok.
AAPVERSKRIK
Seniors thank community
The Richards Bay Senior Citizens Club hosted a fashion show fund-raiser on the 25 August and would like to thank all the participants and the public for their support.
VANI NAICKER
Richards Bay Senior Citizens Club PRO
Reasoning that boggles the mind
I would like to ask a very blunt question to the people striking, especially those at RBM. They say, and I quote: ‘Rio Tinto is a very small fish. We are going to drown it and ensure it is liquidated through prolonged strike action, which we will take to its other operations in the country.’ I ask myself who in their right mind would strike for better wages to live a better life, but on the other hand would like to close the doors of the people paying their salaries. It boggles the mind how these workers follow their union leaders like mindless sheep. Do they even know what it means when a company is liquidated? No more jobs! If you want to strike, be my guest, but don’t hinder and intimidate other people doing their jobs. Don’t plunder and act violent. It just shows the level of intelligence of said strikers. Rather go to the meetings held and help work on a solution peacefully.
BOSSIES
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