Letters







				Thursday 4 July 2002



	This site will be updated on: 11 July 2002 at 17:00


	Letters - Briewe


	Councillor wrong about floor crossing legislation Chris Leander het dit regtig nie verdien nie Mense wat in winter met hul harte na ander kyk How safe can you be driving on the road nowadays? The street committees must fight criminals again Redaksioneel: Dans die nuwe politieke dans


	Councillor wrong about floor crossing legislation


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IN the last edition of the Paarl Post a number of opinions were expressed about the proposed floor crossing legislation.

I am especially interested in the one written by the Democratic Alliance's councillor Deetlefs du Toit.

It seems as if he does not really understand his party's own position in support of floor crossing, or else he is bent on deliberately misleading the public.

The fact is that floor crossing is a perfectly accepted phenomena of many Western democracies, of which the Democratic Alliance is such a great fan.

It is a fact that the Democratic Party, under Tony Leon, was the first to argue that politicians should be allowed to cross the floor without losing their seats.

It is also a fact that the Democratic Alliance voted together with the NNP and the ANC in favour of the floor crossing legislation. I dare anyone to disprove these facts.

I believe that the Democratic Alliance was a marriage of different political parties with distinct followers and voters.

One partner wants a divorce. It is absurd to argue that when they leave the marriage they are betraying the voters. They have their voters who they came to the alliance with.

Is it fair for loyal NNP members to be trapped in a party that they do not like? Freedom of choice is a vital liberal principle.

It is a feature of any representative democracy that a mandate is given to the leaders to exercise on behalf of the followers.

The NNP leaders have exercised their mandate and opted to leave the DA with their followers and the votes they cast.

Tony Leon used to believe that this was democracy. Voting in favour of the floor crossing legislation proves that deep down the DA still believes so.

It is unfortunate that this time around the effect will be felt more by them. Any DA member who is uncomfortable about the principle of floor crossing is in the wrong party.

Luvuyo ka Zantsi


	Chris Leander het dit regtig nie verdien nie


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EK skryf na aanleiding van die berig "Politieke pot kook oor" van 27 Junie.

Chris Leander is 'n seun uit Malmesbury en 'n sterk persoonlikheid wat nie verdien wat Deetlefs du Toit hom toedig nie. As Du Toit hom nie met Chris kan assosieer nie, dan moet hy hom uitlos. Dit beteken net dat hy jaloers is op die man.

Du Toit is baie neerhalend en dit doen die demokrasie glad nie goed nie, want Chris is 'n man wat nog altyd verhoudinge oor die kleurgrens goed hanteer het.

Leander verdien nie die lelike dinge wat Du Toit hom toesnou nie, want Chris dwing orals respek af met sy gemoedelike houding.

Baie ontstoke, Malmesbury


	Mense wat in winter met hul harte na ander kyk


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IN hierdie koue Bolandse winter is dit maar moeilik om in die vroeë oggendure uit die bed te kruip. Wat nog te sê van behoorlik wakker word en dinge rondom jou raak te sien!

Dit is dus vir ons totaal verbasend dat daar darem nog mense hier en daar is wat soggens wakker genoeg is om ander se nood raak te sien.

Hier in die landelike gebiede kom die leerders soggens skuifel-skuifel en al bibberend van die koue aangestap, die meeste van hulle kaalvoet en maar bra karig geklee.

Watter wonderlike verrassing is dit toe daar 'n oproep kom van 'n dame wat hierdie kinders se nood raaksien en aan hulle skoene, truie, langbroeke, sokkies en boeke skenk.

Hierdie besondere persoon het die nood van ons kinders raakgesien en haar voelers na verskeie persone in die gemeenskap uitgesteek en kinderharte verbly.

Ons opregte dank aan Ada Venter vir die inisiatief en aan die personeel van al die ondernemings wat bygedra het.

Sy en al die ander donateurs is mense wat nie met hul oë nie, maar met hul harte kyk.

Personeel en leerders van Blouvlei Primêr


	How safe can you be driving on the road nowadays?


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I WAS driving from Paarl to Somerset West on Saturday, 15 June. Because of the rainy weather, one tends to drive a little slower than usual due to the slippery condition on the roads.

More or less 5 km before Stellenbosch, I see the flashing of lights in my rearview mirror.

Realizing that I needed to make space for the "over taker", I view the road forward to make sure it would be safe to drive in the yellow line.

Unfortunately for me, there is a pulled over vehicle parked almost 200m further on and therefore I can not make way for this very impatient driver behind me.

Trying to signal to him that it is impossible to make way, I am answered by the echoing of a hooter and the flashing of a dreadful sign through the window.

The taxi has a huge yellow sticker on the back indicating that it is not allowed to travel at a speed greater than 100 km per hour.

Still this is not the end. As we pass the Muratie/Delheim turn off, a white VW Golf turns onto the R44 - right in front of this very fast driving vehicle.

There is a screeching of brakes and all traffic is forced to a halt as the driver of the minibus almost pushes the Golf off the road while driving 15 km/hour!!!! The driver of the minibus speeds away - not to be seen again.

This leaves me with one question: How safe are we really on our roads?

If we are all driving responsibly - as we all should - incidents like these should never happen.

Very shocked and concerned driver


	The street committees must fight criminals again


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THE people of Mbekweni support crime. The parents of criminals don't call the police when suddenly their child acquires a cellphone or a television set while he is not working.

Some of them continually buy new clothes, but have no income.

In the 1980's we used to have street committees where every parent was supported in disciplining our beautiful township.

After the election of 1994 politicians came with a beautiful idea which is called a Police Forum, but it is not successful.

I think we must go back to the street committee, because there was discipline. The Police Forum in Mbekweni is dead and the councillors themselves are doing nothing to make it a success.

People of Mbekweni, we must fight criminals together. Let us discipline those that are stealing our possessions.

Siphosethu Khawuleza

	Redaksioneel:
	Dans die nuwe politieke dans


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DIT kos fyn trap en woorde tel om kop bo water te hou in die huidige politieke storm in die Drakenstein.

Sommige partye se bootjies lyk of dit op kantel staan met al die gerugte van oorlopers en inklimmers.

Intussen moet die kiesers hul onwillige gang gaan - hul stem so waardeloos soos die goudprys.

Dit sal nogal interessant wees om te sien met watter kulkunsies die politici vorendag gaan kom om dié stemvee weer na die stembus te lok ná die ontnugtering van die laaste paar weke.

Intussen moet die Munisipaliteit miskien daaraan dink om munt te slaan uit die situasie.

Dink net, die munisipale bestuurder kan as afslaer optree vir al die stoele wat nou te koop is binne die verskillende partye en dan 'n persentasie van die aanbiedinge in Drakenstein se skrapse geldkas stort.

Terselfdertyd kan 'n mens die kiesers weer 'n mate van inspraak gee deur 'n munisipale weddery oor watter party die meeste stoele kan koop.

Bring 'n reël in dat net mense wie se munisipale rekenings op datum is, kan deelneem en jy breek sommer 'n lansie vir die agterstallige skuld ook.

Sou die grondwetlike hof instem en die oorlopery word 'n werklikheid, kan dit 'n gereelde bron van inkomste word.

Intussen leer raadslede vinnig die passies van die nuwe politieke dans aan: wie om te systap en wie om te vat vir 'n vinnige walsie sonder om op tone te trap.

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