Letters







					Thursday 6 Novemberr 2003


	This site will be updated on 13 November 2003 at 17:00


	Letters - Briewe


	Fighting like rattlesnakes in a pit Hou op kla en wees dankbaar Vergasserfoefie pla Hospitaal is puik Healthy scepticism

Fighting like a rattlesnake
in a pit


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READING the reports and editorial comments in Paarl Post on all the goings-on within the Drakenstein Municipality and the infighting within the NNP/ANC alliance, I would like the American humorist and commentator, Will Rogers, say "If ya puts a bunch 'o rattlesnakes together in a pit, sooner 'n later they start strikin' at each other".

The head of the average ratepayer must be spinning with what has happened within the Municipality over recent years.

First a period of ANC misrule, then the rather inappropriately named Democratic Alliance (which in spite of what Mr Deetlefs du Toit might think, were hardly much better) then the floor crossing debacle, then the NNP/ANC coalition and finally the mayoral executive committee which now just seems to ride roughshod over all principles of good governance.

What has happened to the new democracy which we all looked forward to so much after 1994 and the principle of "government of the people, for the people and by the people"?

The most amazing revelation in all of this however, is the total apathy being displayed to this state of affairs, by the ratepayers of the region.

Another piece of conventional wisdom says "that for the scoundrels to succeed, it only requires one good man to say nothing".

Notwithstanding the unauthorised purchase of laptop computers and the use of public funds for placing political advertisements in the newspaper, as a ratepayer I am still waiting with bated breath for a report on the outcome of the Mayoral "jol" to Japan at our expense.

Are we soon to see lots of little labour creating industries springing up and bringing much needed development to the region?

We think a report on this use of our rates and taxes is long overdue.

The attack on the Municipal Manager by certain councillors also seems to have been uncalled for.

In the municipal newsletter of July 2003 the poor man refers to the frustrations of operating under conditions of political interference and one can see his point.

However a visit to the municipal offices is also an eye opener. The lifts and public facilities are dirty, numerous employees seem to be lounging about in a de-motivated way and a proper dress code is non-existent.

There are apparently a number of key posts unfilled yet one sees advertisements in the press for things like Procurement Managers which sounds more like a politically correct appointment than an absolute necessity in the management of the affairs of the town.

At present there is probably a far greater need in the municipal setup for a person to return one's phone calls or acknowledge receipt of correspondence.

The next round of elections are not too distant and on the basis of its present track record in terms of delivery and poor governance, one cannot see any thinking person being inclined to re-elect any of the present councillors.

If however the ratepayers demonstrate the same level of apathy to local affairs as has been shown to date, one shouldn't be surprised if one gets an even worse crowd in the future.

Spero Meliora

Hou op kla en wees dankbaar


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EK lees die afgelope weke net van lesers wat kla en ontevrede is oor die teenwoordigheid van die straatkinders, bedelaars, en motorwassers in die dorp.

Een leser doen haar inkopies op Wellington, want dis meer vreedsaam daar. Aan u wil ek net 'n boodskap gee dat dit nie lank gaan wees voordat u u inkopies in Malmesbury of Moorreesburg gaan doen nie.

Hierdie mense wat julle van praat, is daar, ongeag wat julle sê of doen. Dis mense soos ek en jy wat deur omstandighede daar gekom het.

Ek sit in my motor en aanskou die volwasse vrou wat die vullisblik voor 'n eetplek oopmaak, 'n houer uithaal en smaakvol eet aan die oorblyfsels daarin.

Met 'n traan in my oog voel ek so jammer vir haar.

Dit kan so anders gewees het. Daardie vrou kon my of jou ma gewees het.

Daardie man wat uit die vullisblik eet, kon ek of jy gewees het. Kinders wat op die straat bedel kon ons kinders gewees het.

Ons moet die Here dank dat dit nie met ons gebeur het nie. Ek gee om vir hierdie mense ongeag watter ras. Dis interessant om met hulle te gesels.

As die Here eendag Paarl besoek, wie dink ons sal Hy besoek? Dit kon alles so anders gewees het.

Ephraim Barends

Vergasserfoefie pla


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EENDAG klop 'n man aan my deur. Heel skaflik gelyk.
Sy bakkie het in die Hoofstraat onklaar geraak. Dis die vergasser.

Goeie Samaritaan, dis ekke, neem hom na die onderdelewinkel vir 'n 'kit'.

Die onderdelewinkel het nie so 'n 'kit' in voorraad nie en sal dit moet bestel. Dis Saterdag, dit sal nie werk nie. Goeie Samaritaan gee R40 vir vervoer na êrens.

Na 'n week besef Goeie Samaritaan dis 'n "lost cause" en die geld gaan nie terugbetaal word nie.

Heelwat later hoor ek 'Vergasserfoefie' het 'n buurman ingeloop met R200 omdat 'Vergasserfoefie' blykbaar by 'Goeie Samaritaan' teëls gelê het (weer 'n vergasser wat gelol het).
Ek hoop 'Vergasserfoefie' vergeet van my en besoek my weer sodat ek sy 'float level' kan stel met my 'waterpump pliers' en 'n ekstra 'venturi' kan boor waar hy nie een het nie.

'Vergasserfoefie', jou dae is getel - selfs 'Valve Ease' gaan jou nie red nie!
Wees bedag, alle Paarlse Samaritane.

Joe Grindlay (Goeie Samaritaan)

Puik hospitaal


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'n MENS hoor soms baie stories van hoe mense praat van plaaslike provinsiale hospitale.

Baie mense is bang om na die hospitale te gaan, want die plekke is vuil, jy wag ure voor jy gehelp word, die mense gee nie om vir jou nie.

Dan verkies die mense om liewer ten duurste na private hospitale/klinieke te gaan.

Wel, ek het nou ondervinding van ons plaaslike hospitaal sowel as ons private mediese kliniek.

Wat gehalte diens betref is daar geen verskil nie. Ek was verbaas deur die uitstekende diens wat ek nou onlangs by Paarl Hospitaal ontvang het.

Die verpleegpersoneel is werklik baie professioneel en hulle gaan uit hulle pad om jou by te staan en die tydjie so aangenaam moontlik te maak.

Daar is haakplekke, soos die ongevalle-afdeling waar die verpleegsters ongeduldig is en jy ure moet wag voordat daar aandag aan jou gegee word maar in saal 5 was die diens puik.

Ek is trots op ons Paarl Hospitaal - ek het nooit geweet dat 'n mens daar ook sulke goeie diens kry nie.

Paarliet

	Healthy scepticism
	Editorial


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NOWADAYS you can never be too careful.

If you go to the bank to draw money, chances are that thieves will lie there in wait of prey.

You might not notice them, but if your card seems to disappear into the ATM machine, it is more than likely that thieves have meddled with the slot.

While the panic-stricken client repeatedly types in his PIN number in vain, they watch closely.

Once the victim has gone in search of help, the card is quickly retrieved and the bank account accessed with the PIN number they saw him use.

In the end the client (now many rands poorer) has no-one to blame but himself.

And then there are the confidence tricksters - people who approach you in the street or knock on your door, alleging that their car has broken down and that they need some money for the part - which they will pay back tomorrow.

If you fall for this trick, without checking out the story properly, you will once again only have yourself to blame.

What a sad state of affairs, when normal activities become fraught with suspicion and fear, because so many people are unable to earn a living.

That is why a bit of healthy scepticism is advisable in all walks of life.

Of course the alarm bells should start ringing in earnest when more and more politicians hold meetings and dish out cheques at the drop of hat.

That's when you know election time is near.

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Tel: (021) 871-1170 - e-mail: edit@ppost.co.za