Open letter to Jacob Zuma

by Zarin Thomson

Recently you decided to pop in at Manenberg, ( I wish you had trekked up Table Mountain and disappeared ) you stated that you were under the impression that the Democratic Alliance had every thing in control, yet this ‘Today I see it’s not true’ well, explain your multi-million rand home. If you were at all serious about the people of the Cape of Good Hope or the rest of the country, would you have spent taxpayers money on yourself? Perhaps I am the better man. I would have spent that money on something the people need.
You stated in Hangberg ‘I have been shocked to see my people live in these conditions.’ What a laugh. I know, beyond any reasonable doubt, that theses some people would be shocked to see the conditions you live in.
This continuous problem with you and your party has a solution: an independent Cape of Good Hope. No-one wants a corrupt leader. I still fail to see how the ANC can make the claims that it has over the last twenty or so years. Your claims of ‘freeing’ the people is a load of rubbish, Mr so-called president. If I had anyway of ensuring that you would get arrested on corruption charges the next time you go for an overseas trip, God knows, I would ensure that.
As far as taking a 74 year old woman out of her home and into a retirement home – gee so it’s not ‘right’. Guess what? My mother-in-law broke her hip less then a month ago. We are now taking care of her as she is unable to take care of herself. And yes. She’s 74.
Frankly Jacob Zuma, we don’t want you or the ANC or any political party that stands for the rights of themselves and not the people.  Go for a walk up Table Mountain and don’t come back down again .

Bridge to far

bridge to far?
By Zarin Thomson

I’ve been reading an interesting book “Unification of South Africa 1902 – 1910” going through it has been interesting and scary at the same time.
Some say the union “arrived” due to a transport issue (railway tariffs was a problem after the Mozambique line opened up and the South African Republic/Transvaal opted to get/send goods on that line and not Cape Town or Durban) and that there were too many politicians who had been soldier’s (who insist on a ‘central’ command.) Some say it was to get rid of British influence in this part of the world. It must be noted that it was something that should never have happened. It must be noted that there are over 80 tribes. It must be noted that South Africa is too big.
I can play the old record of ‘all-the-minorities-stay-in-the-Cape-of-Good-Hope’ but I’m certain that anyone reading this has had their fill of that. It’s starting to sound like the lies spat out by Zuma – blaming everything on Apartheid. I suppose his next one will no doubt be something along the lines of ‘the reason why so many blacks are killed by lighting is because of the legacy of Apartheid.’
But I digress.
Here’s something to think about. Do you think that the new idea of toll roads would lead to the Cape of Good Hope declaring a unilateral independence in the same way that the concept of a union was born due to railway tariffs?
Before the union the question of Coloured voting rights had been on the agenda, back then blacks living in the Transvaal didn’t have that luxury – but funny ha ha. Nor did women. Indeed. There was a piece of paper that drifted into the history books with 1700 odd signatures from woman demanding voting rights. Weirdly enough there was a second petition with 7000 signatures once again, from woman, stating that they didn’t want voting rights because it ‘was the difference between men and women.’ At least we don’t have to consider a question like that in these ‘enlightened’ days do we? Or do we? I was shocked to here that a co-worker (a coloured gentlemen) who had been brought up in a rural town had been taught that ‘the whites will kill you’ He is still dead scared of driving through Durbanville, for example, preferring Delft (not realizing that the coloured gangs down there don’t give a hoot about the colour of your skin but what they can steal from you.) No. I am not digressing. The unfortunate fact is that many coloureds really believe that the whites will bring apartheid back. How do we go about getting around that large problem? Let’s sleep on that one shall we?
An independent Cape of Good Hope can be laughed at however, in the light of the what is happening in southern Africa – a failed state – can we honestly continue with this farce? A leader with how many counts of corruption against him, yes, we all know about it but can anyone (short of assassination) do anything about it? Clearly not. The rot has become apparent. We need to get our house in order. That is pretty clear.