NATHAN CHEIMAN
The South African government is not known for its perspicuity. Since the government has been in power, our mining industry is almost on its knees because of strikes. We were number one in mining globally and now we are not in the top five.
Duarte is part of a governing party that spent R6 billion on naval vessels and aircraft, which now are unused because the country cannot afford the cost of operating them.
This is a country that is now in the process of retrenching personnel in the defence force because they have no funds to pay these soldiers, despite Boko Haram and al-Shabaab on our doorstep.
Almost every metro is insolvent or under administration or dysfunctional. Most government enterprises are hopelessly insolvent and frequent financial bailouts are common.
Many of these enterprises are headed by cadres who are not only incompetent, but in many cases have fake degrees and even criminal records.
Duarte is part of a government who has plans for redistribution of farms and whose own members cannot properly care for the animals on their own farms, resulting in hundreds of animals dying.
Our country has the highest rape statistics in the world; our murder rate is in the top five globally.
Some of our top policemen seem to be members of criminal organisations. Indeed, recently Jackie Selebi, the police commissioner, was jailed for corruption.
The healthcare system has collapsed under ANC control; mothers and babies die daily.
This is the ANC of which Jesse Duarte is a senior member.
As far as South Africa is concerned, we are almost a failed state with a “junk” credit rating.
I do not for one minute think that Duarte is anti-Semitic. My guess is that she doesn’t even know the meaning of the word. She is just clueless, like so many of her comrades. Her mentor and role model seems to be Jacob Zuma.
The people in charge are unable to govern themselves, let alone a country.
Northcliff, Johannesburg
