EK is die ma van 'n elfjarige dogter wat onlangs aan die Paarl Ussasa atletiekbyeenkoms op 6 Februarie op Daljosafat deelgeneem het.

Dit is die eerste jaar dat ek my kind aan die byeenkoms laat deelneem aangesien ek haar vanjaar kon vergesel. Dit was dan ook beslis die laaste jaar dat ek haar hier sal laat deelneem.

Die gedrag van sekere skoolleerders het die byeenkoms heel onsmaaklik gemaak.

 'n Gedurige gesing en gegillery het beteken dat toeskouers nooit kon hoor wat die aankondiger sê nie.

Dit is een ding om atlete tydens 'n wedloop aan te moedig, maar dit is net etiket om as daar 'n afkondiging is, stiller te raak sodat daar gehoor gegee kan word.

 Dit was egter nie hier die geval nie.

Daarbenewens het dit meer as een keer gebeur dat van die jonger atlete tydens naellope kruis en dwars oor die bane hardloop sonder dat hulle gediskwalifiseer of deur die beamptes aangespreek word.

Smerige aanmerkings teenoor die meisie-atlete en die feit dat jy gedurig 'n wakende oog oor sportsakke en ander besittings moes hou, is nog twee dinge wat my dwars in die krop gesteek het.

Die aanwesigheid van 'n verdagte groepie ouer kinders wat in gewone drag geklee was, agter die pawiljoen rondgehang het, en beslis nie aan die byeenkoms deelgeneem het nie, het my ook ongemaklik gemaak.

Ek was self vir jare lank 'n atleet en voel dat die atmosfeer wat by byeenkomste soos dié heers nie bydra tot atletiek nie en inteendeel swak is vir die sport.

My dogter blink uit en het die dag eerste gekom in al haar items, maar ek gaan haar beslis nie weer by dié byeenkoms laat deelneem nie.

Besorgde ouer     

DOES Biebie Brits know what an arboretum is? She calls the Berg River Arboretum a "tourist attraction"! A local social spot with pavement style bistro, info-kiosk, stalls and amusement items for kiddies? Heaven forbid!

Nowhere in her letter in the Paarl Post of 31 January does she refer to the trees, only to the bushes behind which fellow Paarlites seem wont to relieve themselves.

Any activity that would have a negative effect  on or infringe on our quiet enjoyment of this beautiful haven of trees from all over the world should not be considered.

The trees and bushes do not mind dogs and the odd human using them to answer the call of nature.

I am sure there are plenty of other places  where Paarlites can find amusement and social stimulation.

Sieg Kröger

ON 30 November when my sister asked me to take my nephew to the Phola Park clinic in Mbekweni, I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

They had the nerve to send a worried mother home with her sick baby simply because there was no clinic that day.

As if that wasn't enough for the mother, they told her to come back on Monday... "oh, and we don't have medicine for the little ones".

As far as I'm concerned clinics are there to assist the poor, especially in rural areas.

What is the mother supposed to come back for on Monday when she already knows that her child won't get any help? What if the child dies over the weekend?

Worried citizen

If necessary they are referred to secondary level with a referral letter to TC Newman Hospital.

EK is 'n inwoner van Groenheuwel en werk in die Kaap.

Ek maak daagliks gebruik van die trein. Soggens en saans moet ek deur haglike gebiede stap om by Daljosafat stasie te kom.

Die kanaal daar naby die sportgronde stink vrot, om nie te praat van al die vullis wat daar op die land lê nie.

Dan kom ek verder by die stasie. Omdat ek van die onderste hek gebruik maak wat vir my nader is, stap ek oor 'n klein landjie wat lyk soos 'n woud met al die hoë bome en takke en die droë gras.

Kan die Munisipaliteit dan nie iets doen nie?

VM

ONS as plaasmense wil dankie sê vir die mooi werk wat die Agapé Vigs-sentrum vir ons op die plase doen. 

Hulle leer ons baie mooi van die gevare van dié virus.

God seën hom en sy werk by Agapé.

Paula Speelman

IT is no longer rare to see shoppers hightailing it along the pavements of Central Paarl or Wellington's Main Street, hot on the heels of a shoplifter or a bagsnatcher.

Neither would eyebrows be lifted if the culprit were caught, shaken down, and when the stolen goods are retrieved, sent on his (always indignant) way with a farewell box on the ear.

The community seems to have come full circle - from looking out for one another in days gone by, to total apathy, and now to renewed determination to come to the rescue of victims of criminals.

Suspected burglars, rapists and car thieves are confronted, often with disregard for the gun or knife that might be turned on the vigilante.

So why do people fly to the rescue of their fellowmen? Because the public is tired of being pushed around by criminals who regard themselves above the law.

And why would that be? Because it is common knowledge that even if the police had the personnel and vehicles available to send to a "petty" crime scene, too many days would be wasted trying to prove the case in court.

One cannot fault the new mindset - especially if it unites victims of crime and sends criminals off with their tails between their legs.

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