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.

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

No Point Voting for the DA –Unless You Want Delivery!

Sent to "The Star, Johannesburg", Wed 04/05/2011 14:48, not published.

Pius Khumalo (The Star, Tuesday May 3 2011) says there's no point in voting for the DA because it promises what the ANC promises.  He's absolutely right – if it's promises he's after.

On the other hand, maybe he would prefer delivery?

The record shows that the DA, while it may not promise as much, delivers more. How?  By cutting out "middle-men" like corruption, incompetent deployed cadres, inflated tenders for buddies.

It has been said that the DA delivers on the ANC's promises.

The ANC reminds me of the famous Wizard of Id cartoon:

King: "Chamberlain, do you have my list of campaign promises from the last election?"
Chamberlain: "Yes, Sire"
King: "Did I keep any of them?"
Chamberlain (quaking): "No, Sire"
King: "Fine.  Use them again."

DA Shows How to run a City - But Will Voters Notice?

Sent to "The Star, Johannesburg", Sat 04/12/2010 08:54 & published

 

I refer to Mariano Castrillion's November 29 attack on, and Cllr Ross Greeff's December 1 defence of, mayor Amos Masondo, and subsequent discussion.

The way the ANC and the DA run a city makes for interesting contrasts.

The ANC in Johannesburg spends our money bragging that we are a "World-Class African City", though this is obviously not true: The tame lapdog of the advertising industry, the Advertising Standards Authority, predictably fudges the issue.

The DA, instead, spends ratepayers' money on actually making the City of Cape Town work.

But here's the scary part:

In my field, the personal computer industry, Lotus Corporation devoted itself to building excellent software. Microsoft Corporation wrote mediocre programs and put its money into marketing.

Today Microsoft is market leader and Lotus is a small subsidiary of IBM.

As James Thurber said, you can fool too many of the people too much of the time!