Letters







				Thursday 11 July 2002



	This site will be updated on: 18 July 2002 at 17:00


	Letters - Briewe


	Municipal budget is a big disappointment ABO-monument vereer nie net vegtendes nie Why must these animals go hungry? Samwu employees' demands reasonable The silent majority still cares about others Dié motoris behoort haar te skaam Kry betyds wiskunde-hulp vir u kind Banke word in gesig geklap Redaksioneel: Dié droom bly toe 'n droom


	Municipal budget is a big disappointment


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INCLUDED with our electricity accounts this month was the Capital and Operational Budget for the Drakenstein Municipality.

A measure of the total apathy of the community of Paarl to municipal affairs and those matters which affect them as ratepayers, is the lack of any comment from the public on this budget, either vocally or through the medium of your newspaper.

Among the issues which should be raised with the Drakenstein Council are the following;

* The complete absence of a mission statement or vision by the Mayor or Municipal Manager on where Paarl is to go in the future or how they intend to improve on service delivery or encourage investment etc.

One is still fed with vague waffle statements about "strategiese rigting ondersoek word" and "langtermyn doelstellings".

For heaven's sake, this Council has been in place for over two years and it sounds as though they are still grappling with some kind of clear vision for Paarl in the future.

* The budgeted amount of R7,7 million for payment to councillors is an affront to the taxpayers. Where are the days when councillors received little or no remuneration and were elected by, and were responsible to the ratepayers?

In the light of all the political shenanigans which have been reported in Paarl Post over the past weeks it seems obvious that town councillors have lost sight of the fact that they have a responsibility to serve the communities who elected them and are not there to line their own pockets!

* There is a provision of R10,85 million for bad debt and "Mr de Villiers urged the public to help with the debt collecting"!!

One wonders again what the Council and Municipal Manager are being paid huge salaries for, when the public have to help them to do their work?

Again there seems to be no clear statement as to how this state of affairs is going to be addressed, nor how the Council intends to handle the accumulated debt of R74 million nor does the budget provide for interest payments to service this debt.

One sincerely hopes that the Commission investigating the election of representatives at national and local levels, completes its work soon and that we can return to a system whereby councillors are responsible and accountable to their electorate.

Spero Meliora


	ABO-monument vereer nie net vegtendes nie


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DANKIE vir u berig oor die beoogde monument vir die Anglo-Boereoorlog in die Paarl Post van 4 Julie.

Ons is goed bewus daarvan dat die afstaan van ruimte vir berigte maar altyd groot uitdagings stel aan die redaksie van koerante en baie berigte verkort of weggelaat word weens 'n gebrek aan ruimte, die nuuswaardigheid daarvan en prioriteite.

Ek aanvaar in goeder trou dat dit nie moontlik was om die massa inligting wat oor hierdie saak beskikbaar was te verwerk en meer daaroor te plaas nie.

Laat my egter toe om die begrip "Kaapse Rebelle" wat in die berig in die enger sin van 'n rebel op 'n perd met 'n geweer gebruik is, verder te verruim.

Ek wil dit onomwonde stel dat die beoogde monument 'n meer inklusiewe ABO-monument sal wees wat naas die Rebelle wat met perd en geweer saam met die Republikeine geveg het, ook duisende nie-vegtendes in die Kaap - soos vroue, predikante, boere, koerantmanne, onderwysers, studente, leerlinge, plaasboere en sakemanne - sal insluit.

So, byvoorbeeld, moes die stigtingsvergadering van die Paarlsche Afrikaansche Trust Maatschschappij in'n waenhuis in Lady Greystraat op 13 Oktober 1900, voorloper van die voormalige Boland Bank, vir 'n week uitgestel word omdat Krygswet geheers het en vergaderings verbied was en in die geheim moes plaasvind.

Die protesvergaderings van 2000 vroue in die eikebos op Laborie, inaggenome die oorlogsomstandighede, kan net as baie dapper beskou word!

Indien lesers voel dat hulle wil bydra vir die ABO-monument kan met my by 863-3366 geskakel word.

Dr Carel Stander, Voorsitter FAK Gebiedsraad Wes-Kaap


	Why must these animals go hungry?


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I RECENTLY heard a rumour that McDonald's Restaurants dispose of all prepared food after merely half an hour.

How much food do they dispose of during those hours that they aren't very busy and yet keep food ready for sales?

If they throw everything away after each half an hour, it must be a great waste of food. Is that why the prices are escalating?

And why don't they donate the unsold food to the SPCA or some other animal charity?

Not only would McDonald's SA be contributing to a good cause, but it would also give them some positive publicity.

McDonald's SA has a good reputation when it comes to fresh products, and is probably very up to date when it comes to international standards, but such a waste of food is heartbreaking when one regards all the hungry tummies out there.

Animal lover

A spokesperson for McDonalds replies: Quality is one of the four pillars of strength of the McDonald's business.

To maintain quality control McDonald's has strict procedures to ensure standards are met or exceeded. All restaurant managers and crew members are trained to follow these procedures.

Food is prepared according to the demand levels of each restaurant to ensure minimal wastage.

As we adhere to these strict quality procedures, McDonald's reserves the right of choice to donate waste food.

This procedure is implemented by McDonald's worldwide and donations are also made in Paarl to charities of their choice on a case by case basis.

In these cases McDonald's only donates fresh food that meets or exceeds quality standards.


	Samwu employees' demands reasonable


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I WISH to comment on the debacle surrounding the recent strike which was embarked on by municipal employees together with their respective trade unions.

It is also a sad reality to see that property and life had to be endangered to exemplify the intensity of the strike.

I feel that a 10% or R300 increase on the minimum wage is definitely a reasonable demand taking into consideration the exhorbitant salaries earned by SALGA's high ranking officials.

We as a nation have earned our socio-political freedom, but we now seek our economic freedom which will make the majority in this country who are impoverished completely liberated.

M Govender


	The silent majority still cares about others


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IT'S Friday night and pizza time. I'm trying to phone our order in while Eric is searching for my rucksack, with in it money to pay the labourers.

Not being able to find it, we realise we haven't seen it since Thursday evening.

Just as we're starting to get worried, because after turning the house upside down still no rucksack, the phone rings.

A lady calling asks me if I lost something. I say "yes, a brown backpack". She found it in the gymnastics hall where Maud, our oldest daughter, has her rhythmic gymnastics lessons twice a week.

We always help to roll the mats and in doing so I put down the bag and forgot to pick it up again.

Next morning Kathleen enters and finds the bag, however nothing much to identify us by, except an invoice from PaarlMed, where we went with Maartje, our youngest daughter, just before picking up Maud.

Kathleen phoned the clinic, but they were of course not inclined to give patient privileged info. When she explained what happened and that they were her only hope to find us and saying that there is so much negative things happening, they gave her our telephone number.

Many of our overseas friends read your paper's website and comment on the amount of crime.

I think it would be interesting for everyone to read about a woman like Kathleen, who makes a difference and makes us realise that the people with good intentions are always the silent majority you don't hear about.

We invited her for dinner so we can get to know her better.

Mariëtte Ras


	Dié motoris behoort haar te skaam


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MOTORBESTUURDER van 'n swart CJ Mercedes-Benz. Jy stel ander motorbestuurders in gevaar met jou ongemanierde bestuurgewoontes.

Jy gebruik ons paaie soos 'n wafferse renjaer en maak van die N1 'n Killarney renbaan.

Groot was my teleurstelling toe ek vanoggend in my truspieëltjie kyk na die vinnig naderende motor en sien dis weer jy, vir die hoeveelste keer.

Jy pyl op 'n mens af, flits ligte, ry tot op 'n mens se stert en gebruik dan kru vingertaal wanneer jy by 'n mens verbyseil en nie eens dankie sê nie.

Jy moet verstaan dit is nie altyd moontlik om vinnig voor jou uit te kom nie.

Gee kans - as jy laat is moenie dit ander motoriste se probleem maak nie.

Ek weet dit is heerlik om vinnig te ry, dit boonop as jy die krag onder jou het.

Maar hou matigheid voor oë, of gaan geniet jouself liewer op terreine spesiaal vir sulke manewales.

Ongelukkige motoris


	Kry betyds wiskunde-hulp vir u kind


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MET twee tieners van my eie, beleef ek die teleurstelling of vreugde van Wiskunde wat "ek-nie-kan-doen-nie", of wat "ek-verstaan-ag,-dis-maklik!" in eie huis. En die reaksies is so wispelturig en onvoorspelbaar soos die weer!

As bestuurder van 'n plaaslike Wiskunde-sentrum, oop vir alle skole, sien ek egter té dikwels hoe leerders te lank met hierdie worstelstryd alleen die mas moes probeer opkom.

Die agterstand raak elke jaar net groter, en só ook die gevaar van Matriek-sonder-Wiskunde wat jare later eers sy skade wys.

Of u leerder reeds onder die 2005-kurrikulum val of nie, bly dit uiters belangrik om by te bly met Wiskunde.

Ek doen dus 'n beroep op alle ouers van leerders wat enigsins sukkel met Wiskunde, om eerder lank genoeg vóór u kind moet kies om met Wiskunde voort te gaan of nie, hulp te kry, sodat die regte keuse om die regte rede gemaak sal word.

Omdat ek die belange van ons kinders op die hart dra, is hierdie nie 'n advertensie nie - bloot 'n beroep op alle ouers van moedelose Wiskunde-leerders: Kry asseblief die beste hulp vir u kind wat u kan vind, so gou as moontlik!

Marietjie Vermeulen


	Banke word in gesig geklap


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DIT lyk my die Paarlse mense weet nie hoe om met outomatiese tellermasjiene te werk nie.

Die masjiene in Paarl-Oos is gedurig stukkend of gevandaliseer.

Dit bekommer my dat die banke, wat die gemeenskap probeer dien, so deur die gemeenskap in die gesig geklap word.

Dalk is die oplossing om die bankmasjiene eerder by motorhawens te installeer, waar daar beter toesig is.

Teleurgesteld, Paarl-Oos

	Redaksioneel:
	Die droom bly toe 'n droom


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VIR die misdaadvoos dorpenaars in die Drakenstein-gebied het die belofte van munisipale polisiebeamptes 'n visioen opgetower van begaanbare sypaadjies, veilige strate, sorgelose ure in die middedorp.

Iets soos die Londense wetstoepassers sal hulle wees - vriendelik, te voet, netjies in uniform sodat hulle mooi sigbaar is wanneer hulle benodig word.

Hulle sal padaanwysing kan gee, weet hoe laat dit is, 'n bejaarde oor die pad help, 'n knypende kleuter die naaste toilet wys...

Hierdie hemelse toestand sou wel eers oor 'n paar maande bereik kan word, besef jy in jou gedagtes.

Want eers moet die munisipale polisiebeamptes die skynbaar onmoontlike vermag - om die smouse van die sypaadjies af weg te hou, die motorwassers van voertuie af weg te kry, die bedelaars uit jou beursie te hou en die sakkerollers van jou selfoon af weg te hou.

Maar helaas, die droom van 'n eutopie bly net 'n droom. Die provinsie dink nie ons munisipaliteit sal die beamptes kan bekostig nie.

Maak nie saak dat dieselfde provinsie dink voltydse raadslede kan gerus teen 'n koste van miljoene rande aangestel word nie.

As die publiek gevra word om hande op te steek en te kies tussen munisipale polisiebeamptes of meer geld vir raadslede - is daar min twyfel wie sal dié verkiesing wen.

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