3 March 2021 by CXpress

3 March 2021

Published every Wednesday by CXpress 2006 (Pty) Ltd - PO Box 1449, Plettenberg Bay 6600 - 6 Park Lane, Plettenberg Bay - Tel: 044 533 1004 - Fax: 044 533 0852 Email: editor@cxpress.co.za / advertising@cxpress.co.za Web page: www.cxpress.co.za Printed by Group Editors

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Love rules!

Miss Elly will be missed p2

Jozi lass solos Otter p3

Alison and Gerry Brink from Plett celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary with much laughter and love last month. Read their story of enduring affection and meet some more members of the Brink clan - on page 2.

Cyril’s ‘Maggie mo’

Photo: Benjamin Brink

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CXPRESS

NEWS & VIEWS

3 March 2021

‘Do you always stir your tea with your pinkie up?’ HE words above comprised Gerry Brink’s opening line to Alison (née Bartlet) when they first met in the cafeteria of Witwatersrand Technical College in Johannesburg. Gerry was completing his final year of Pharmacy and Alison was finishing her Commercial Art diploma. Their romance quickly blossomed and they tied the knot in February 1961. The newlyweds then moved to Oudtshoorn, where Gerry had done his pharmacy apprenticeship. He then joined CW Watson Pharmacy, which would later become ‘Watson and Brink Pharmacy’, when Gerry was made a partner in the business. Not allowing their careers to interfere with building a family, Alison and Gerry had five children between 1962 and 1978. In 1989, the Brinks moved to their holiday home in the

ON BRINK OF CELEBRATION: Gerry and Alison Brink tied the knot on February 11 in 1961, and celebrated this fabulous feat with kids and grandkids in Plett on Valentine’s Day - they are flanked from left by the Brink clan of Brian, Isabelle, Matthew, Sebastian, Benjamin, Jody (the youngest granddaughter, looking lovely in Grannie’s wedding dress), Candice, Donald, Warrick, Bianca, Helen, and Roger Brink

beautiful Plettenberg Bay and decided to make it their permanent address. While Gerry had retired from the pharmacy profession, he

however opened a branch of his ‘Hearite Hearing’ business in Plettenberg Bay and for a number of years he continued to travel to both Oudtshoorn

and Mossel Bay to carry out hearing tests and dispense hearing aids in these towns. Alison, a talent in her own right, became well known at Plettenberg Bay Art Association, having created a number of impressive paintings over the years. Both Alison and Gerry enjoyed golf and for several years were frequent visitors to Plett country Club. In celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary on Thursday February 11, three of the Brink siblings and their families gathered together for an impromptu re-enactment of the couple’s wedding ceremony. Much fun and laughter were had by all. Cheers to Gerry and Alison on their 60th! With lots of love from the Brink children, close family, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

OBITUARY

Miss Elly’s many happy interventions will be missed by all WO Mondays ago, Plettenberg Bay lost a wellloved lady: Eleanor Swinley, commonly known as ‘Elly’ or ‘Miss Elly’. She had been resident in Plettenberg Bay for more than 10 years and was a most active Zumba dancer prior to lockdown. Although she was not a bowler she assisted a great deal at Plett Country Club’s bowls section. Whether taking photographs at functions or serving a threecourse Christmas lunch, as was the case in December 2019, Elly was always helping. In 2017, when her husband John was president of the bowls club, she was always there during the All Cape Tournament arranging food or selling raffle tickets. Elly was instrumental in supporting several functions when the bowlers raised funds for NSRI and Hospice Plett. She was also a regular member of the Stealth Bombers quiz team at Rotary charity meetings and at the Plett Bowling Club. After a third knee replacement in 2018, the Swinleys

moved in to Glen Eden Village. When Level 5 lockdown started in March 2020, Elly decided to try and assist the many single residents who were suffering severe loneliness. She baked some small gifts both for Easter and for Freedom Day and distributed them with little greetings cards. Elly also started consolidating vegetable orders for residents and arranging delivery from Uitsig each Friday. When this worked well, she added Elgin Chicken from George and later even beef and Nanaga pies from Addo. Elly was also instrumental in starting a group which called on residents celebrating birthdays, singing Happy Birthday to them while observing Covid-19 protocols. Instead of being bored during lockdown, she decided to build a water feature for the Glen Eden Village - a special memory of her. Some of the observations taken from the hundreds of well wishes worldwide are: • You were one in a million. • You two were the Gold Standard of marriage and re-

lationships. • Elly was always so friendly and had such a vibrant personality. • Your passion for wildlife was never ending. • Her legacy will live on forever. • Elly was such a vital, vivacious and helpful lady. • Such a lovely person - gentle, kind and so friendly. • Elly was a very special lady loved by all. • You gave and gave so much of yourself. • You were strong and passionate. • The sparkling light of Elly has moved on but we will never forget her fun, laughter, positivity, and helpfulness. • Nothing will describe the wonderful lady that she was. • You lit up the room with your smile and infectious laughter. Her untimely death was peaceful and relatively painfree, thanks to the excellent support from CANSA and Hospice. She will be sorely missed by her children, grandchildren and family as well as friends all over the world. She leaves behind John - her husband of over 30 years, who

ELEANOR SWINLEY: 30.09.47 - 15.02.21

is well known throughout Plettenberg Bay. On Friday March 5, a group of family and close friends will get together at Robberg Nature Reserve to celebrate Elly’s life. Because of international travel constraints, there will be many small celebrations in numerous countries, marked by the planting of a tree or shrub. Elly’s niece in the US could not find a plant with leopard skin flowers so will plant an indigenous shrub with prolific white flowers to pay tribute to her awesome aunt.

3 March 2021 CXPRESS News & Views

Level 1 restrictions place more responsibility in our hands for Covid-19 safety On March 1, Western Cape premier ALAN WINDE released this statement in the wake of the previous evening’s presidential address, during which lockdown restrictions were eased to Level 1

HE move to Level 1 restrictions requires all of us in the Western Cape to act responsibly to protect ourselves, our loved ones and fellow residents from becoming infected and falling ill. Personal responsibility is paramount now in avoiding hospitalisations and saving lives.

President Cyril Ramaphosa announced relaxations to a number of restrictions including reduced hours of curfew, the broadening of alcohol trading hours, and changes to the restrictions around gatherings. All these changes require us to act with even greater responsibility. Covid-19 is

still with us and we cannot rule out the possibility of a third wave. The responsibility rests with all of us the Western Cape Government, as well as residents and businesses - to ensure we save lives, and engage in safe economic activity that saves livelihoods. As the Western Cape Gov-

Otter Trail hit by solo lady hiker

ernment, we will closely monitor and track data as we have done throughout the pandemic, to pinpoint areas of concern. We have sophisticated tools at our disposal to do this, and we will use our hotspot strategy and our ‘bushfire’ response to manage the pandemic at this time. Residents and businesses are also encouraged to look at the dashboard regularly to keep abreast of Covid-19 trends in our province (visit https://coronavirus. westerncape.gov.za/covid-19-dashboard). We will continue to administer those vaccines we

have received as part of a clinical trial quickly and effectively. We will also keep our monitoring systems and infrastructure operational to manage a possible third wave. During my engagement with the president and his council on Sunday, I lobbied for events such as sports matches to be allowed to go ahead with clear limitations and strict Covid-19 protocols in place. Events with limited numbers, especially outdoors, are income generators for the province, and play an important role in community building at a time when

people have not been able to spend time together. Some gatherings have now been allowed and we must ensure that these do not become super spreader events. We can do this by adhering to the restrictions on the numbers of people allowed for indoor and outdoor events, and by taking all Covid-19 personal safety precautions. We will continue to work as hard as we have done throughout this pandemic to manage Covid-19 and save lives, but we cannot do it alone. It requires a deal between this government and our citizens.

Nicole Ermacora of Dunvegan, Johannesburg, is a special woman. She braved and completed the 45km, fournight Otter Trail on her own, all alone, last week. According to SANParks staff, this is the first time a woman has done the hike “solo” - up to now, only one man has achieved this feat. Nicole’s experience was created by chance... There were other people booked on the hike from February 22-26 but, for one reason or another, they all cancelled. “It was quite exhilarating. A lot of self-thought and introspection, but I enjoyed it very much,” said Nicole, who has been a regular visitor to Plettenberg Bay over the years. She travelled light, and her meals consisted of two-minute noodles, oats, biscuits, tuna, biltong and energy bars. “I must admit that on the last night, I hoped for a Gin n Tonic, but that didn’t happen,” quipped solo-Otter-conqueror Nicole. - Words & photo: Chris van Gass

National budget cuts to impact housing delivery in Knysna and beyond

NYSNA acting municipal manager Dawid Adonis said budget cuts from the national Human Settlements department would impact on local delivery schedules. “The current economic recession and issues related to Covid-19 prompted budget cuts, and the housing subsidy programme approach to deliver top structures is not fiscally sustainable anymore. “Hence, the focus has shifted from the provision of top structures to serviced sites only, with six prioritised categories: the elderly, military veterans, persons with disabilities, child-headed households, backyard residents, and those longest

on the waiting list. “The delivery of top structures will be downscaled, and no new top structure projects may be awarded unless approved by the national department,” he said, adding that the implementation of new rules did not mean no new top structures would be delivered. “If a project is currently under construction, then it must continue into 2021/2. These projects will still be honoured by province and the funding approval will not be changed. In instances where only particular phases of a project were approved, future phases starting after April 1 must respond to the new criteria. “All new project appli-

cations received from municipalities, including top structures, must be done in accordance with criteria as set out by the national department.” He said Knysna’s Human Settlements department had realigned their 2021/2 business plan to prioritise the delivery of serviced sites, and that they had added measures to ensure compliance with revised housing delivery legislation, policy and prescripts. Adonis said during this transition process, it was imperative that municipalities continued to partner, so ensuring changes were implemented as smoothly as possible and to limit the impact on beneficiaries.

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CXPRESS

NEWS & VIEWS

3 March 2021

BUDGET 2021

Alec Hogg

Cyril, Tito to face their Maggie Thatcher moment HEN you clear away the financial debris of a horrific year, the one thing now abundantly clear is that South African lawmakers need to absorb the toughest message possible for a socialist-inclined government: the economic reality that they’ve run out of “other people’s money”. With Covid-19 dealing the economy a R230-billion blow, quantified in Treasury documents on February 24, the tide has

well and truly gone out. In Warren Buffett-speak, the whole world can see South Africa’s ANC government has been swimming starkers for over a decade. The critical issue oft-repeated in over a thousand pages of documentation provided us by Treasury is clear: SA’s public servants are busy bankrupting the nation. As a percentage of GDP, they now cost the country as much as the social democracies of Nordic

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nations. Fact. Over the past decade, SA’s public sector wage bill has compounded by 4% a year in real terms while the economy has grown a modest 1.5%. It’s long past the point where the contracting tax base can fund this ever-growing drain on national resources. Instead, for over a decade already, the money to pay them has been borrowed reflected in the continuously escalating national debt.

The result is that public servants now receive 47c in every rand of tax collected in South Africa. And debt-to-GDP, which was just 26% in the best year of the Trevor Manuel ministry, broke through 50% in 2017; it reached 60% last year and is now at 80%. Even in Treasury’s bestcase scenario (i.e. public sector wages cut by R265-billion in the next three years), it will reach 90%. Even with historically low interest rates, servicing that debt takes around 20c of the taxes paid in this country. Together with the wage bill, this means there is very little left over to pay for basic necessities, let alone inject the stimulus our staggering economy desperately needs. And still those who lead muddy the waters. Budget commentary prattles on about the way low economic growth expands the income gap. Not a mention of addressing a 1.6% population growth rate, which is a far greater issue - as the Chinese (with their onechild policy) showed the world decades back. Then there’s the hypocrisy of refusing to extend the increasingly successful 12J tax incentive scheme because it is a subsidy by society for rich South Africans. For one thing, 12J has kept billions in SA that would otherwise have gone abroad. For another, its true cost pales into insignificance when compared with that received by global motor manufacturers through the noxious MIDP. But it’s politically unpopular to even consider that the MIDP inflates the price of SA motor vehicles by over 30% - a subsidy paid by every South African motorist. To say nothing of the impact an

expensive national fleet has on forcing people to drive unroadworthy cars, with a rather obvious impact on road fatalities and costs of funding the ever-hungry Road Accident Fund (which will get another 11c a litre from us after Budget 2021). But back to the more immediate issue of the outrageous public sector wage bill. Treasury’s predictions are dire: even with a quarter trillion rand cut off the public sector wage bill in the next three years, and a mere 0.4% growth in other state spending, it will take the country until February 2026 before non-interest costs are covered by tax receipts. So, finmin Tito Mboweni and his boss Cyril Ramaphosa are facing their Maggie Thatcher Moment, reminiscent of how the UK’s Iron Lady took on the trade unions in the mid-1980s. Either these hard-boiled ANC politicians use their powers of persuasion to convince the powerful public-sector trade unions of the need to sacrifice in the national interest, or they must go to proverbial war with organised labour. In Daily Insider, my over-riding message ahead of Budget 2021 was to be sceptical. Having spent hours going through the context and details, it’s impossible not to be right now - especially on the state of spending. I remember listening to Pravin Gordhan a few years ago as he confidently told us his team would slash R25-billion a year off government spending by centralising procurement and eradicating the massive waste. Sadly, Gordhan himself was dispatched soon afterwards, and his procurement

tsar Kenneth Brown departed for Standard Bank. A couple of years ago, Tito backed himself to hack the wage bill through attractive retirement packages and lowering the age when employees could participate. Those predictions turned to ashes when public servants refused to bite. Considering their conditions of service, omnipotent union reps and a long history of inflation-topping increases, why would they? But those were comparatively mild setbacks which failed to stem the slow leak in government finances. This time it’s different. Covid-19 has sent SA’s debt into the stratosphere. We’re now above 80% to GDP. Even after a showdown with the unions, it will take five years for this government to get to a point where it doesn’t have to borrow more every year. Treasury now refers to balancing the “primary deficit” - the difference between non-interest spending and tax received. Rational minds will see this for the nonsense it is as there’s another R270-billion a year (and growing) required to just service the debt. But I guess Treasury DG Dondo Mogajane and his team will have to start somewhere. In simple terms, the pandemic has extracted what breathing room SA had left to get its financial house in order. The nation’s choice is clear: cut off the public servant Medusa’s head, or book our seats for a rerun of the Zimbabwean horror flick. • Email media@neasa. co.za for more information. This article was first published in BizNiz on February 24. (See the 2021 budget in a nutshell on this page.)

Free PPE kits for Garden Route informal traders Ludumo Tede

NFORMAL essential businesses in Garden Route townships will receive free Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) as part of an initiative to strengthen the fight against the local spread of the coronavirus. On February 22, R750,000 worth of PPE was donated to the Garden Route by the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in a session facilitated by Garden Route District Municipality in George (GRDM). Despite the area being expunged from the hotspot list due to its current significant drop in case numbers, the quest to ensure people’s safety against the virus still takes

precedence. And informal essential businesses’ safety is taken into consideration as they are also deemed to be at the forefront. According to SALGA in a recent statement by GRDM, “affordability of PPE material remains the biggest challenge within the informal food trading sector”. Yet, they can’t close their businesses because the fear of the virus does not beat off hunger. This fact had catapulted SALGA to seek funding to overcome the challenge; the UNDP came to the rescue. Western Cape SALGA exco member Dr Annelie Rabie, when stressing the rationale for regarding the informal essential business sector deserving of free PPE material, said: “They do not all have backup

plans, live from hand-tomouth, and therefore find it difficult to purchase the required PPE materials to keep safe.” The municipalities of George, Knysna, Mossel Bay, Bitou, and Hessequa all received 50 face shields each, while Kannaland received 20 and Oudtshoorn 30. Each municipality received 200 one-litre hand sanitisers, and the same number of face masks. GRDM mayor Memory Booysen also weighed in and advised local municipalities to consider themselves fortunate to receive their first batches of PPE toolkits. He also added that the ball is now in each municipality’s court, the task being to ensure the toolkits arrive where destined.

3 March 2021 CXPRESS Business

Great matric results? Do not let the year go to waste!

FTER the turbulent year that was 2020, the focus for many was simply on getting through the eye of the storm, with less focus on their plans for the new year. This was especially true for the Matric Class of 2020, who have now finally received their results, and can (for the most part) close that chapter. However, with the focus firmly on finishing their final year of school, many didn’t make plans for 2021 and further studies, while others may have performed better than expected and are now eligible for further study where previously they did not expect this outcome. “If you now find yourself in the position that you are able to pursue further education, but did not yet put plans in place to do so, the good news is that registrations are still open at some higher education institutions, whether for full-time degree study, part-time and distance programmes, or short learning programmes,” says Wonga Ntshinga of the Independent Institute of Education - SA’s largest and most accredited private higher education provider. “There are some excellent options still available to prospective students, and there is no need to let the year go to waste by putting your plans on hold until next year,” he says. Ntshinga encourages anyone who is keen to continue their studies this year to get to work as soon as possible to ensure they don’t miss upcoming deadlines. “Your first stop should be to do a thorough online search for institutions and programmes that are still accepting registrations, to see whether any of them are a match for your ambitions. If you are unsure about what you want to do with your future, this is a great opportunity to speak to a career counsellor or student advisor at a respected higher education campus. “These advisors are welltrained and knowledgeable about which kind of professionals are currently in demand, and expected to be so in future, and will be able to assist you with advice regarding which qual-

HEAD IN THE RIGHT PLACE: Wonga Ntshinga is Senior Head of Programme at the Independent Institute of Education’s ICT Faculty

ifications are a fit for your interests and strengths.” Ntshinga says given the current economic climate and competition for limited opportunities in the workplace, young people should do everything in their power to constantly develop their skills, even if they are not yet ready to commit to full-time degree study. “There are a number of options available that don’t involve a long-term commitment, but which will help you take the next step on your educational journey, thereby building your competitive advantage in the job market,” he says. “So if you have an idea of what field you’d like to pursue, but need more certainty or more time before pursuing a full degree, or if perhaps you don’t have degree endorsement, consider enrolling for a higher certificate that will allow you to get a foot in the door in a specific field, while at the same time exploring and refining your interests. “Upon completion, you would also be able to enrol for degree studies in a similar discipline.” A higher certificate is a one-year programme, which allows students to attain a full qualification while at the same time mastering the essential skills needed for higher education success. “Of course, many will still want to opt for full degree study, and if these candidates move quickly, they can still register in time to complete their first year by the end of 2021,” Ntshinga says. “While most public uni-

versity registrations have closed, there are still opportunities in private higher education, which thousands of students opt for as a matter of course because of smaller class sizes and work-integrated learning. “This prepares them to step confidently into the workplace from day one, as well as the strong industry connections that some institutions boast. “So if you are interested in pursuing degree studies this year, do your research and contact institutions without delay.” Ntshinga notes that a degree from a respected private institution is highly regarded among employers, particularly where the institution has a reputation for producing work-ready graduates who can make a positive contribution from day one, rather than having to struggle to translate the theory they learned at university into real-life application. Very importantly, prospective students should try to contact current students at their chosen institution to ask about their learning experience - in particular their experience of lockdown learning last year. “Our environment remains uncertain, and anyone signing up for study now must make sure that their institution is able to continue providing the highest quality of academic excellence coupled with engagement and support, even when in-person learning is not possible. “Prospective students must be confident that their institution will assist them to continue successfully on their educational journey, regardless of future disruption that may arise.” Visit www.theworldofwork. co.za or www.iie.ac.za for further information. • The Independent Institute of Education is a division of the JSE-listed ADvTECH Group, Africa’s largest private education provider. The IIE is the largest, most accredited registered private higher education institute in South Africa, and the only one accredited by the British Accreditation Council (BAC), the independent quality assurance authority that accredits private institutions in the UK.

CXPRESS

Interval

3 March 2021

I’m fairly certain that the person who put the first ‘r’ in February also decided how to spell Wednesday...

NICE TRY

One day, a customer placed a huge order for numerous goods, but then the company realised the customer hadn’t paid for the previous order. Immediately, they sent a message by email saying the new order could not be placed until the last bill had been paid. The next morning, they opened their emails to find a reply: “We would like to cancel our order, we just can’t wait that long.”

then reappears. “Good news,” he begins, “they’ll be ready next Friday.”

the other and said: “If we want to stay alive, we’d better get on that ball!”

PLAYING DOCTOR

THE EAGER ENTREPRENEUR

The seven-year-old told her mom that a little boy in her class asked her to play doctor. “Oh, dear,” the mother nervously sighed. “What happened, honey?” “Nothing - he made me wait 45 minutes and then double charged the medical aid.”

entering the outer offices. He picks up the phone and starts waving his hands around in the air, pretending to be deep in conversation about figures. Finally, he puts the phone down, and asks the client: “Hi, can I help you?” “Yes, I’m here to install the phone lines…”

Sitting behind his new desk for the first time since opening for business, a young businessman spots his first client

THE TERRIBLE GOLFER

IMPRESSIVE SKILL SET

Once a terrible golfer hit a ball onto an ant hill. He went over the ant hill to hit the ball. No matter how hard he tried, all the golfer managed to do was to hit the ant hill and kill many ants. At last, only two ants remained. One turned to

“So tell me, Mrs Smith,” asked the interviewer, “have you any other skills you think might be worth mentioning?” “Actually, yes,” said the applicant modestly. “Last year I had two short stories published in national magazines, and I finished my novel.” “Impressive,” he commented, “but I was thinking of skills you could apply during office hours.” Mrs Smith explained brightly: “Oh, but that was during office hours.”

How we blocked people in the 1960s

CLAIM CHECK

While going through his deceased dad’s things, Jon finds a 25-year-old claim ticket for a shoe repair. Curious, he goes to the store and hands the owner the ticket. The owner goes to the back of the shop and

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3 March 2021 CXPRESS On the Soapbox

Letters to the Editor

Email: editor@cxpress.co.za - Fax: 044 533 0852 - PO Box 1449, Plett 6600

Open letter to Bitou’s chief traffic officer regarding Longships Drive taxi chaos I write to you as a follow up on Customer Care Ref No 577645 (submitted by councillor Dave Swart) with the hope that something can be done about this issue. Taxis operating in Plett’s Longships Drive with their ‘do what they like’ attitude and rude behaviour are creating an undisciplined and chaotic situation, which is unacceptable to the residents of Longships and the general public using this road. Prior to the fencing off and closure of the public open spaces at the bridge over Piesang River, a number of taxis used this area as a taxi rank from where they would operate

to pick up and transport commuters in Longships Drive and vicinity. They also had toilet facilities and especially water for the washing of their hands in accordance with the prescriptions of the Covid-19 pandemic. Since the closure, they park on the pavement next to the Jewish Synagogue for most of the day, awaiting commuters going home in the afternoon. The width of the pavement is not suitable to accommodate a taxi rank and, most importantly, there are no toilet or water facilities. I can just imagine what’s happening to the boundary wall of the synagogue.

Bravo to Storms River canopy tours and Marilyn’s We did a fabulous walk at Plaatbos last Saturday and was really impressed by the staff of Tsitsikamma Canopy Tours in Storms River Village. They bent over backwards to provide excellent service to two overseas visitors who had booked for the tour but arrived a day early and they were extremely busy with other groups

who had also prebooked, so good to see! The village is most definitely a must for visitors: Marilyn’s is a superb venue for breakfast, with super keen staff to boot. They all need to be complimented since their dedication ensured that we had a lovely and truly memorable morning. Tina van Reenen, Plett

In order to regulate the orderly on/off-loading of commuters in Longships Drive, the local authority has provided taxi stops along the perimeter of the road. But it is regrettable that this traffic regulation is not being adhered to. In fact, it is blatantly ignored. Taxis stop where they want to, mostly disrupting the traffic flow and aggravating motorists. They are particularly fond of stopping at the entrance of roads leading off Longships. I have also experienced an incident where one stopped right in front of me in the circle of the round-about, waiting for commuters that came

running down Piesang Valley Road. Not only was my view and the road obscured but I had to wait ‘till he was done (±4 minutes). He ignored me and had an attitude of being king of the road. Surely, taxi services are extremely important for all dependent on them, but not in the chaotic and undisciplined way currently being performed. We cannot allow this precariousness to affect our lives daily. Therefore, Sir, we call upon you to please apply the necessary law-enforcement requirements in order to remedy the situation. I thank you in anticipation. DJJ Freislich, Plett

Expropriation legislation is sure to deter foreign investment

I was interested in your article on the trade and investment partnership between the USA and Western Cape [read it on page 5 of the February 17 edition at www.cxpress.co.za]. Do the Yanks know something that we don’t? Don’t they know that the gout of South Africa is planning the abolition of protections of minority rights? Obviously I’m refer-

ring to the change in the constitution to allow expropriation without compensation (land is only the start - the thin edge of the wedge). Zuma and his mates have expropriated most of the money already with the written bond in place to protect minorities. I think their money would be safer in Myanmar... Andrew Forbes, Plett

Silence of church leaders won’t hide murderous history The Reverend Frank Chikane, as a moderator of the World Council of Churches (WCC), was at his best as he spewed out his usual vitriol against Jews, Israel and Christian Zionists in a Zoom webinar on February 18. Chikane said: “We need to begin to say to those who support Israel to brutalise Palestinians that the blood of the people of Palestine will be sought from them because they collaborate by allowing this system to continue.” There is a clear incitement to violence indicated here. How sad? He went on to openly suggest that Jews were

demonic. He said that Palestinians were “dealing with the same demons we dealt with in South Africa”. What next from the WCC? The Palestinian “liberation theology”, which also makes the ludicrous claim that Jesus was a Palestinian, has been adopted wholesale by the WCC and for decades; the WCC has promoted anti-Israel and anti-Zionist attitudes - a concept that has infused many liberal churches. Leaders of such churches appear ignorant of the history of Judaism and the Middle East, in that there was no such place

as Palestine during the time of Jesus’s ministry. The WCC has doubled down on Israel, but has made little or no criticism of the brutal regimes in places such as Cuba, North Korea, Venezuela, China, the Sudan and Iran. While Islamic extremists kept blowing up Coptic churches in Egypt, traumatised Copts said that the WCC was apparently too preoccupied with Israel to give them support. The most shocking aspect of all this is that with just a handful of exceptions, the churches remain silent on these inflammatory statements

about Israel, as they did during the Holocaust. Can someone explain how it is that the Catholic Church can accept a Jewish Rabbi as the Messiah, but reject His people and remain mute when the WCC demonises them, calls for violence against them, and recycles its oldest hatred (viz: anti-Semitism)? Perhaps the silence of church leaders is meant to hide Christianity’s own murderous history - all in all, an appalling reflection of the workings and concepts of the WCC in particular, and the church in general. Kevin Meineke, Plett

I love SA and will stay, despite corruption and crime I write in response to the bitter letter from Wilderness émigrés to Panama [read it on page 7 of the February 17 edition at www.cxpress.co.za]. If you feel South Africa is not suitable for the

life of your choice, then leave. I hope Panama is a better place for you. We decided to come to South Africa many years ago, looking for more sunshine and the wide open spaces. I love this

country, the bush, the sea and the animals, and most people are outgoing and friendly. There are times when I get upset with the corruption, the high crime rate, the potholes etc.,

but then I sit back and think why I’m here in the first place, and why I’d never leave. I love South Africa. And yes, the food and most restaurants are great too. Elfie Maulen, by email

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Plett Animal Welfare Service

3 March 2021

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