The Weekly
Apart from making urban areas hideous and placing a humongous burden on local authorities to provide basic municipal services, informal settlements always come with a myriad other problems. Overcrowding, poor sanitation and limited healthcare are always a cause for concern in squatter camps. And not only do the materials normally used to put up shacks – such as cardboard boxes and plastic – leave the inhabitants vulnerable to the vagaries of weather, they also pose massive fire risks. Then there is the lack of jobs as well as crime and rampant drug abuse. In brief, the living conditions in informal…
Can the state offer good service?
Recently I paid visits to two government offices in Mangaung. The first visit was to the Thaba Nchu Magistrates Court in Selosesha and the second to the Department of Home Affairs in Bloemfontein. The visit to the court was appalling, to say the least. In the first instance, as a client – or a member of the public – I did not encounter an inquiries desk. This is the first blunder by any service provider, be it a public or private sector entity. We waited for many hours without being helped because apparently there was only one magistrate dealing with…
Imagine if it were Luthuli, not Rhodes
The sudden enlightenment sweeping across university campuses, with students demanding the removal of symbols of oppression, should not be open for debate. Why would we shun the German Nazi Party symbols and expect South Africans, Africans in particular, to accept symbols of colonialism and apartheid? The statues and names that represent a vile history perpetuated by evil men must go. In their place should be a project that symbolises the aspirations of the majority of South Africans to cherish and honour the contributions of the heroes and heroines of this country. It should be a project of symbols that signify…
