Mon séjour en Afrique du Sud (Cape Town)

SANDF’s ‘conduct unbecoming’ makes us the laughing stock of the world

I refer to an article in last week’s Saturday Star, “Soldiers’ orgy leads to running battle with cops”.

As a proud ex-South African National Defence Force officer I was saddened and disgusted by what I read. I have to ask: What has become of the once mighty defence force?

I served my country for close on 19 years and have never regretted it. I was proud to serve both the old regime and the new democratic order. But had I acted like those so-called soldiers, I would have been court-martialled and booted out of the SANDF.

The behaviour by these ill-disciplined soldiers makes the SANDF the laughing stock of the world. One of the problems is that the SANDF top brass are too scared of what the unions will do if stern action is taken against these soldiers. Stuff the unions; any army in the world runs on discipline!

If you cannot enforce discipline, you have hooligans running the army. How can we expect these soldiers to protect our country?

This incident is nothing less than a total collapse of military leadership at the highest level. It would be good if the following questions could be answered truthfully: Why did the officer on duty at the college allow this to happen? How did civilians enter a military base without the duty officer knowing about it? What action will be taken against the officer commanding of the Medical Training Formation? He is responsible for the action of his soldiers and cannot simply say he was not aware of it.

The minister and chief of the SANDF must be held accountable for this lack of discipline. These captains of the SANDF are steering it to disaster.

What will happen on the battlefield when soldiers disobey an officer’s order to march into battle?

The excuse that the soldiers were in the minority holds no water; the bottom line is that the SANDF’s image is in tatters. If this is indeed the argument, then act decisively against these thugs and hooligans, as there is no place for them in the SANDF.

To all my ex-colleagues with whom I served: imagine this happening when Jan Holiday, Pep van Zyl or even Witkop Badenhorst were around. Those troops would still be running today!

Derek Bock

No sentient being should be kept in a zoo

I’m writing about the article (February 2) misnamed “When animal rights go wrong”, about a polar bear kept in Berlin Zoo. As an animal rights activist I take offence at the bid to discredit the movement with a story about a zoo! No animal rights activist would condone the keeping of sentient beings in a zoo (prison).

Perhaps, instead of trashing the animal rights movement (a movement about which the author of the article clearly knows nothing), the article should have been labelled “Zoos are stupid!”

Sarah Harrison

Out of the quicksand, just to be preyed on

As someone who workshopped the National Credit Act (NCA) in its constitutional context, I find that the fee guidelines proposed by the National Debt Counsellors’ Association (NDCA) to be outrageous, and contrary to the spirit and ethos underpinning the NCA.

To expect people drowning in debt to pay a “restructuring fee” of R3 000 is like adding more weight to a drowning person. I submit that this is unconstitutional. Who will speak for the debtors, that silent majority seeking a way out of the quicksand, with vultures flying overhead?

I suggest that there be an all-inclusive debate and discussion involving the legal profession as well as the NDCA and the National Credit Regulator and the various structures to settle the issues, lest those who get their way be seen as fleecing the poor.

Saber Ahmed Jazbhay

A possible solution for Eskom

With regard to all the load shedding we have to endure, I have information that might just help a bit.

Just outside the town of Sabi, Mpumalanga, on the Hazyview road, is an old defunct hydroelectric plant, that would – if renovated – provide enough power for the entire Panorama area, including Sabi, Pilgrim’s Rest, Graskop and more. All that Eskom need do is fix it up. All the parts are still there!

AJM

Are blacks who murder whites not racist?

Compensation for victims should be spread to victims of every racial attack where people have been left without breadwinners and loved ones.

On the same day that Skierlik made headlines, three black men were sentenced in Port Shepstone for gang-raping a white female missionary; in Bethlehem, a black man appeared in court for tying up a young white woman with wire and burning her in her car; and two black men were sentenced in KZN for murdering a visiting Danish soccer player.

Sadly, only the Skierlik sickness was called racist. I believe all murderers and rapists should face the death penalty – not life imprisonment.