HEADLINES:
R/€ 
R/£ LETTERS
August 12, 2006 Edition 1
The Native Club's exclusivity sends out the wrong message
Abbey Makoe raises some interesting points concerning the Native Club (Saturday Star July 29), but I take umbrage at some of the more contentious issues.
Group rights are there to protect cultural and linguistic rights; they are not there to facilitate the rise of exclu- sivity. The ANC fought the liberation struggle from the premise of political egalitarianism and social non-racialism - just as 65% of the whites in this country voted in a referendum to pursue just such a goal.
If academic exclusivity is the animating logic, we are enforcing apartheid unofficially while paying rhetorical service to non-racialism.
My concern is what sort of message are professional people - who should know better when it comes to the pursuit of knowledge, truth and meaning - sending to the rest of society?
Is it perhaps that it is fine to be bigoted, exclusive and parochial if no-one gets hurt? Should exclusive knowledge be a tool or instrument of oppression? Are we seeking a way of creating a racially determined power bloc to legitimate any policy that leaders in the ANC wish to pursue? Or are the natives of the club sending a message to non-blacks that they have no right to participate in the problem-solving activities in this society?
It seems that whites, like Brett Kebble, are acceptable only if they make some black people very, very wealthy.
Exclusivity in the pursuit of knowledge is not only arcane but mostly also serves as a justification for what the likes of Mugabe and Hitler got up to in their spare time. We must tread carefully, or we may end up becoming the past with no future and a hateful and greedy present.
We must also bear in mind that exclusive knowledge is contradictory to coherent, consistent and equitable policy formulation. So to all those who support the Native Club, what are you really supporting and what views do you really hold about other South Africans?
Justin G Steyn,
Birchleigh
Will our expensive new coach make it
According to Fifa, Bafana Bafana are rated number 72 in the world soccer rankings. South Africa must be the lowest ranked soccer side ever to be awarded a World Cup tournament.
New coach Carlos Alberto Parreira's job must be his swansong as far as soccer coaching is concerned. He's known to be stubborn and sarcastic, and has never had a professional soccer-playing career.
Bafana Bafana have had 14 coaches in 14 years. Previous coaches could attest to some of the players being boozing, philandering, errant, ill-disciplined, monied prima donnas who have at times spoken in their African mother tongue among each other, bad-mouthing and deriding their coach.
Many ex-coaches have had their services terminated, mid-contract, in the most humiliating fashion, which smacked of uncouth, unbecoming behaviour by Safa.
Some of those fired coaches have gone on to become highly successful coaches with world-class soccer nations and leading club sides.
Rumour has it (it is still to be confirmed) that coach Parreira will be earning close to R2-million a month. What is expected of him?
Will Safa's top brass get his back up by interfering? Does he understand his players' idiosyncrasies and how to handle them?
It grieves me to ask, but will berated players interpret his position as a black/white issue?
Are Bafana Bafana in it to win or are Safa just hedging to protect themselves by spending an exorbitant fee for a coach to placate disappointed, frustrated, disgruntled fans - "you see, we hired the best coach, but the lads let us down".
Russell Sadowsky,
Johannesburg
Stressed-out police need our help
In the Saturday Star on August 5, I read a derogatory column by Zingisa Mkhuma, who was indignant about roadblocks and outstanding fines.
Then on Page 3 of the paper I read about someone blatantly refusing to allow her bag to be searched at a shopping centre. Is it any wonder that respect for the law seems to be waning daily?
Watching the recent TV film on Heartlines about a stressed-out policeman, made me wonder where the SAPS members' "soft place to fall" is. It appears they spend their days dealing with lawless types and dangerous situations, and then go home to households that are grossly financially deprived. It's not surprising that we hear about SAPS suicides and depression, and their need for trauma counselling.
I can't understand why some of the massive profits from the Lotto don't go into subsidising police officers' salaries. It would make sense for them to be paid a decent salary which would provide them with a reasonable lifestyle and give them less incentive to take bribes.
I think it's our duty to give them our support if we want crime to diminish - even if some traffic fines are excessive!
Pat Peppler, Parkmore
© 1999 - 2010 Star & Independent Online (Pty) Ltd. All rights reserved.