The recent floods that ravaged the provinces of Mpumalanga and Limpopo and the Kruger National Park show that climate change is a reality and leaves devastation in its path. The floods had a devastating effect on people, animals and nature.
With climate change and more powerful storms upon us, we must mitigate the devastating effects of floods. One of the most important ways to do this is to respect floodlines and stop constructing houses on floodplains.
Floodlines are used to inform developers, landowners and residents of potential flood dangers, guiding safe construction practices and land-use planning. Floodlines must always be included in township establishment plans and building plans to restrict developments in high-risk areas — and municipalities and the relevant authorities must ensure that communities comply.
The onus for our safety rests on every individual. People are encouraged not to invade and build on floodplains. Let’s be responsible and not put our lives, the lives of our families, and our investments at risk.
Good and responsible behaviour can go a long way in preventing flood damage. Let’s stop using our rivers, streams and other watercourses as dump sites, as waste blocks the natural flow of rivers, leading to floods.
Let us all be responsible citizens and make water safety a priority to prevent the loss of lives. Adhering to water safety protocols is no longer just a precaution; it’s a necessity for survival.
— Themba Khoza, Mbombela
An open letter to employers
South Africa has an extraordinary pool of talent standing ready to enter the world of work. When we opened enrolment for our graduate workplace exposure programme, we prepared for 20,000 placements. More than 45,000 graduates stepped forward. These young people have completed their studies and now simply need access to the workplace to begin their careers.
I am appealing to employers across the public and private sectors to help meet this moment. If your organisation can host graduates, your participation will expand capacity, strengthen delivery and build up the next generation of professionals who will serve our institutions and industries. Even a small intake creates real opportunity.
The strength of a nation is measured in how it responds to opportunity. This is a chance to build capability across every sector and to give thousands of young South Africans the start they have earned.
— — Lehlogonolo Masoga
I also ask employers who can support the programme through additional funding to consider doing so. The original allocation covers 20,000 placements. The remaining 25,000 graduates deserve the same chance to gain experience. Co-funding ensures that they are not left behind just because they arrived in greater numbers than expected.
Services Seta will provide structured support, monitoring, co-ordination and full compliance assurance. We carry the administrative responsibilities so that employers can focus on developing people rather than managing processes.
The strength of a nation is measured in how it responds to opportunity. This is a chance to build capability across every sector and to give thousands of young South Africans the start they have earned.
If your workplace can open its doors, I ask you to do so. If your organisation can help us extend support through funding, your contribution will change lives. If you can do both, the impact will be felt across the country.
Thank you for your leadership and for your commitment to South Africa’s future.
— Lehlogonolo Masoga, administrator: Services Seta
Sodi saga is not a joke
Is it not a gross dereliction of duty by officials of the Tshwane municipality not to have captured the physical address of controversial businessman Edwin Sodi at the point of capturing his application for tenders?
I don’t believe this excuse, but by saying they don’t know his address, officials show the levity with which they regard the public.
— Reginald Nkadimeng
Art makes us look in the mirror
Art does not “offend”. Offence is in the heart of the beholder. We are the only species that makes art. But somehow we tend to forget that art is a reflection of ourselves as a species. A species at war with itself and its only home — Earth. At the most, art forces us to look into the mirror.
— Glenville Wyngaard, Bredasdorp
Parents shouldn’t have to be traffic cops
I wonder if transport minister Barbara Creecy was suffering from cognitive dissonance (to use a vogue term) when she told Chris Barron that parents should demand to see the public driving licences of the drivers of scholar transport vehicles (Q&A, January 25)?
On the presumption that these minibus drivers are also regular taxi drivers, one would imagine that this is not the task of parents but of traffic officers and members of the SAPS. Which parent has the temerity to question taxi drivers, who, as reported elsewhere in your paper, are a law unto themselves?
It seems that the only quality required of most urban taxi drivers is thuggery. I say “most urban” because not all taxi drivers are thugs, and it seems to me that the urban taxi driver is wired differently from his rural counterpart and those plying the long-haul routes.
Having worked at rural universities in the Eastern Cape, North West and Limpopo, I have had the experience of sharing the road with some of the most courteous taxi drivers.
I agree with Creecy that the value chain of law enforcement involves several entities. And the most effective entity should be the road traffic inspectorate and members of the SAPS deployed strategically to bring the taxi industry to heel.
— Harry Sewlall, Sandton
Bring back real public transport
“Blitz won’t stop the scholar transport deathtraps” (January 25) refers. I agree with Mathatha Tsedu’s analysis, apportioning blame on the collapse of township schools. But it’s not the root cause: public transport in general is left to a fleet of private taxis — a gigantic industry with highly competitive service providers. This should not be the case. Public transport should be a government responsibility to provide safe and reliable transport to all citizens, including scholars.
What happened to the comprehensive rail and bus networks of yesteryear?
— IJ Myburgh, Humewood
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