Real History, Not ANC "History"

Sent to The Star, Johannesburg, Mon 19/10/2015 08:46. Published Tuesday 27 October 2015 as “DA defends democracy today as in the past”.

                                                             

Kelly Sithole, in The Star Letters, October 19 (“Right decision to teach history”) makes a powerful argument for the teaching of history, and does so by demonstrating his (or her) abysmal grasp of that history.

Sithole’s letter shows the danger of parroting the simplified ANC line as if it were history.

The DA traces its lineage back to the Progressive Party.  That party’s first (and, for many years, only) MP, Helen Suzman, was probably the person most responsible for making sure that Nelson Mandela did not die in prison.  By relentlessly exposing the conditions on Robben Island, which she saw first-hand, she forced the apartheid government to improve them.

When Helen Suzman announced her retirement, she received a letter from Mandela saying: “The consistency with which you defended the basic values of freedom and the rule of law over the last three decades has earned you the admiration of many South Africans.”

This defence of democracy and the rule of law continues in the DA today.

When a National Party minister accused Helen Suzman of asking parliamentary questions that embarrassed South Africa, she replied: 'It is not my questions that embarrass South Africa; it is your answers.'

This tradition of asking the hard questions continues today with the DA Opposition in Parliament, in the Provinces, and in Metro and Town councils, where we expose corruption, nepotism, and waste.

Where the DA has a chance to govern, our commitment to performance contracts and open tender processes means that we deliver.  By the Government’s own statistics, all voters, but particularly the poor, are better off with the DA.

DA Stands for Freedom, Not Mind Control

Sent to The Star, Johannesburg, Tue 13/10/2015 08:04. Published Wednesday 14 October 2015 as “History must be balanced”

Thabo Thwala (Star Letters, Tuesday 13 October) says that the “DA wants to forget its part in history”, because DA basic education spokesman Gavin Davis is against history being made compulsory in school.

Thwala claims that the DA is a result, partly (he has the grace to admit), of the remnants of pro-apartheid stalwarts and organisations.

Perhaps due to not having been taught history in school, he does not seem to have noticed that this is true of other parties too, ex-National Party member Marthinus van Schalkwyk (for example) is a prominent member of the ANC.  Other former Apartheid supporters have found the authoritarian tendencies of the ANC more to their taste.

These dictatorial attitudes find expression in ideas like making school subjects compulsory even for those who have no aptitude for them.

The DA is not against the teaching of a balanced and fair history. It would be against the spreading of ANC propaganda under the guise of history, as the ANC desperately tries to shore up its dwindling support.

The DA, as a liberal party, is against compulsion, over-regulation, and top-down control.

The DA believes in freedom, fairness, and opportunity.

I Offer a Presidential Candidate for the ANC Women’s League

Sent to The Star, Johannesburg, Wed 17/12/2014 08:42. Published

Sir

The ANC Women’s League has reportedly said that it is time for South Africa to have a woman President.

I have just the candidate.

This woman has impeccable anti-Apartheid credentials.  She was a politically active journalist and exposed the Apartheid regime’s false claim that Steve Biko had died as the result of a hunger strike.  She worked for the Black Sash and the End Conscription Campaign, and provided a safe house for anti-Apartheid activists.

She has extensive experience at all three levels of Government: City, Provincial, and in Parliament.  She has been a Mayor, and turned the fortunes of her city around, cutting debt and crime.  She won the 2008 World Mayor award against 820 other candidates.

This woman also has experience in leading a province: She has made it the best-run province in South Africa.

Unlike many figures in government, she has never been implicated in corruption, and she speaks in support of the Constitution at every opportunity.

I urge the ANC Women’s League to throw their support behind this worthy candidate for President: Helen Zille.

The ANC is Now Above the Law

Sent to The Star, Johannesburg, Thu 13/02/2014 14:54

Sir

I was part of the DA’s 12 February March for Jobs.

The march was planned for 4 February but Johannesburg Metro Police refused permission.  The DA had to go to court to have the decision overturned.

Ill-informed ANC members gathered at Luthuli House on 4 February and, when they found there was no march, tried to disrupt preparations for a DA fund-raising dinner that evening at City Hall.  There were no arrests.

On Wednesday 12^th, the DA held an approved, legal, orderly, and unarmed march.  Even the burly security personnel carried no visible weapons.  Some marchers wore hollow plastic builders’ helmets.  These are designed to give construction workers a measure of head protection against small falling debris.

The ANC neither applied for nor received permission to march.  Yet it bussed in supporters form as far afield as Kwa-Zulu Natal.  As seen in photographs, many were armed with bricks, batons, and other dangerous weapons including petrol bombs.  The SAPS and Metro Police appear to have made no effort to disarm them or to stop the busses.

Beyers Naude Square had been approved by the Metro as the destination for the DA’s march.  This was agreed to by the ANC in court that morning.  Nevertheless, ANC supporters occupied the square: SAPS and Metro Police, instead of telling them to leave and then arresting those that did not, prevented the DA march from reaching its destination.

We on the DA march turned back a block short at Rissik Street, and returned peacefully to our destination to be addressed by Helen Zille.

Meanwhile, ANC supporters were trying to attack DA marchers and petrol bombing the police who stopped them.  ANC leaders have attempted to excuse this.  Four arrests have been reported.  There is no talk of the ANC or its many supporters being prosecuted for an illegal march and thuggery on a grand scale.

It is clear that the ANC has become a party of intolerance and violence, while the DA is peaceful, law-abiding, and democratic.

It also seems from police behaviour that there is one law for the ANC and another for other organisations.

The New Mandela Statue Disgraces, Rather than Honours, the Man

Sent to The Times, Johannesburg, Wed 18/12/2013 08:50, and published Thu 19 December 2013, minus the parts in blue.

Sir

On Reconciliation Day, a 9m (3-storey!) high statue of Nelson Mandela was unveiled at the Union Buildings.

Nelson Mandela was a great man, and deserves to be honoured.

Is this the best way to do it?

Mandela took care not to place himself above others.  Would he have wanted a five-times-life-size statue of himself?

According to newspaper reports, the statue cost R8 Million.  One assumes that Government, hence the taxpayer, paid for it.

Could this money not be used better for a living memorial to Madiba?  One that would embody and grow his ideals the way that dead steel and bronze cannot?  A school, an award, or a bursary fund, perhaps?

           

Are we trying to emulate totalitarian states where ever-more-grandiose monuments tower over a starving population?  The statue of Saddam Hussein springs to mind.

This statue, in its sheer size and expense, is a contradiction of the egalitarian ideals Mandela stood for: The sign of a party and a government that have lost their values and direction.

It shows a cynical commitment to outer appearance, to excess, while their policies –like the statue itself– are lifeless and hollow.

Thanks and RICKgards

Rick Raubenheimer
126 Kelvin Drive, Morningside, Sandton, Johannesburg, 2191.
Tel: 011 802-2685. Cell: 082 389-3482. E-mail: rick@softwareafrica.co.za

·         23 Dec 2013, The Star Early Edition

Grandiose statue contradicts humble values of Madiba

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ON RECONCILIATION Day, a 9m (three-storey) high statue of Nelson Mandela was unveiled at the Union Buildings. Mandela was a great man, and deserves to be honoured. Is this the best way to do it?

Mandela took care not to place himself above others.

Would he have wanted a five-times life-size statue of himself ?

According to newspaper reports, the statue cost R8 million. One assumes that the government, hence the taxpayer, paid for it.

Could this money not have been used better for a living memorial to Madiba? One that would embody and grow his ideals the way that dead steel and bronze cannot? A school, an award, or a bursary fund, perhaps?

Are we trying to emulate totalitarian states where evermore-grandiose monuments tower over a starving population? The statue of Saddam Hussein springs to mind.

This monument, in its sheer size and expense, is a contradiction of the egalitarian ideals Mandela stood for; the sign of a party and a government that have lost their values and direction.

It shows a cynical commitment to showiness, to outer appearance, while their policies – like the statue itself – are lifeless and hollow.

Morningside, Sandton

Strangely, the letter found its way into the Pretoria News, 23 Dec 2013 (after major editing):

·         23 Dec 2013, Pretoria News

Tata statue embodies ANC’s bling culture

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A 9M (three-storey!) statue of Nelson Mandela was recently unveiled at the Union Buildings. Madiba deserves to be honoured, but in this way? He did not place himself above others. Would he have wanted a five-times-life-size statue?

At a cost of R8 million, could the money not have been used better for a living memorial to Madiba – a school, an award, or a bursary fund, perhaps?

Are we trying to copy totalitarian states where ever-more-grandiose monuments tower over a starving population? This statue, in size and cost, contradicts Tata’s egalitarian ideals; shows a party and government that have lost their values but are committed to showiness, outer appearance, while their policies – like the statue – are lifeless and hollow.

Rick Raubenheimer, Sandton

Congratulations, Lead SA

Set to The Star, Johannesburg, Thu 04/08/2011 21:36. Not Published.

Lead SA, congratulations on your birthday!  Not many one-year-olds have achieved as much.

You've made it cool again to care about society. Even if their parents are still breaking the traffic laws, you're helping to make the children better citizens.

For me there were just two campaigns that needed more thought.

Firstly, the campaign against Rhino poaching needs another leg (more below).

Secondly, the calls to pray for Madiba.  Lead SA, a vanguard movement, should not be encouraging superstition.  In any case, on a practical note, research (e.g. STEP) has shown that praying for others has little or no effect.  Except when the person knows they are being prayed for.  Then it is mostly counter-productive.

So if you want to waste your time, pray for Madiba.  But if you want to hurt him, tell him that you are praying for him.

In the next year I'd like to see Lead SA tackle the following:

• Campaigning to have the police charge cable thieves and those destroying infrastructure with sabotage instead of mere theft or damage to property.  This is hugely warranted considering the impact on our country.
• Persuading CITES to legalize trade in Rhino horn.  The campaign against Rhino poaching on its own is going to fail because of the economics involved.  A Rhino costs R500 000 to a million Rand and its horn sells for R1.6M to R2.5M, which will go up as the breed nears extinction.  Legalizing the trade will let Rhinos be valued correctly, and farmed.
• Holding Government and Municipalities accountable for service delivery.  Radio 702 and The Star get paid by Joburg Metro to advertise it as a "World Class City", which we all know is a lie: How about giving "Mr Billing Crisis", Parks Tau, an ultimatum to get his house in order or can the adverts?  Tough one –it means putting your money where your mouth is!

All best for the next year, Lead SA!

Cable Theft is Sabotage

Sent Tue 02/08/2011 08:12, Published in The Star (Johannesburg, South Africa); August 3, 2011 as “Rather charge cable thieves with sabotage” without the parts in blue.

The Star of 1 August carried a front-page report about brazen cable theft.

Catching these thieves is difficult because of the speed of the crime, but there is another incentive to doing it.

If the criminal is caught, he will be charged with theft.  This is a lesser crime than robbery, where violence or the threat of violence is involved.  The police will expend less energy in investigating the case, reducing the chance of conviction.  If convicted, the so-called thief will get a short sentence.

Consider now the effect of cable theft. Suburbs are plunged into darkness.  Thousands of lives are disrupted. Businesses can not function.  Huge amounts are spent on backup systems.  Communications halt.  Emergency services fail.  In cases like railways and traffic lights, people can die.

The cost of cable theft to society is completely out of proportion to the benefit to the criminals, yet they continue to do it.

It is time for the criminal to pay the real cost.

Cable thieves are deliberately harming the country.  They should be charged, not with theft, but with sabotage.  Put them away for twenty years and give the police an incentive to make more arrests.

Scrap-metal dealers who buy sabotaged cables must be charged as accessories to sabotage.

Businesses should also pursue class action civil cases to recover their real losses from the convicted saboteurs and their accomplices.