Library Failures, Political Chaos and a Hate-Crime Horror: Durban Letters Sound the Alarm

Letters to the editor

Closures highlight mismanagement

THE accelerating closure and downsizing of public libraries in the Durban metro is deeply troubling and eerily reminiscent of apartheid-era priorities.

Then, black commuters were restricted to overcrowded and neglected “Green Mamba” buses, while whites enjoyed a cleaner, efficient red trolley service. Ironically, the black service operated at a profit while the white one ran at a loss – yet both were maintained because affordable public transport was seen as essential. Basic services were non-negotiable.

Today, metros face mounting financial pressure, worsened by inflation and sharply rising, often unexplained, costs. Yet this makes competent leadership more vital than ever, not less. Providing core services – transport, libraries, health, water, electricity and security – demands exceptional financial management and strategic planning.

Instead, municipalities take the easy route: Cutting services or raising rates and taxes. This only deepens public frustration, fuels instability and pushes households closer to insolvency.

Waste and poor planning remain visible. The sight of multiple metro buses running nearly empty, one behind the other, is indefensible. Losses may sometimes be unavoidable, but inefficiency is not.

Running a city is no small task. It requires skill, discipline and courage. Above all, there must be zero tolerance for corruption or waste in a system already under severe strain.

Library closures are not isolated incidents. ‘They are warning signs of a metro buckling under mismanagement and in urgent need of decisive, intelligent intervention. | Ebrahim Essa Durban

MKP in power would be a disaster for KZN

The DA in KZN does not support the Motion of No Confidence (MoNC) by the MK Party against the Government of Provincial Unity’s (GPU) Premier Thami Ntuli.

The MKP’s motion – set for Monday, December 15 – is nothing more than a political seizure dressed up as accountability. This sudden jerk of consciousness follows their bold claim of being “ready to govern” KZN. Nothing could be further from reality.

Not long ago, MKP members declared in the legislature that they neither wanted to govern nor intended to provide solutions to our province’s challenges. Since the GPU took office last year, the official opposition – the MKP – has shown themselves to be full of noise and devoid of ideas. What else can one expect from a political party that functions like a family-run fiefdom?

Recent claims by one of the MKP’s many former whips, that the GPU has failed, are baseless. While KZN still faces major challenges, these are surmountable as long as GPU leaders maintain the desire to be held accountable. Citizens should shudder at the thought of an MKP government. Their fecklessness has been evident since they stepped into the legislature. If they cannot manage opposition politics in KZN, how could they ever govern?

Where the DA governs, we do so well: Where we are in opposition, we excel and in co-governance – in the Government of National of National Unity and GPU – we are solid, reliable partners.

The province’s finances have finally stabilised with the Standing Committee on Oversight recently affirming clean governance in the legislature – a vote that the MKP abstained from. In contrast, their so-called “solutions” for provincial finances resemble afternoon daydreams while their desire for access to the provincial coffers should alarm every responsible citizen.

The reality is that most of their ranks consist mostly of ANC cast-offs, along with their baggage and no capacity for any high office. An MK-run province would return us to Zuma-era ruin and capture. The GPU centre must hold. KZN’s citizens cannot have a political party – one that mistakes mayhem for leadership – to hold high-office. | Dr Imran Keeka, MPL DA Chief Whip, Pietermartiz­burg

No child should face violence for being gay

I am outraged and heartbroken by the horrific murder of 17-year-old Kwakhanya “Ntlanganiso” Mhlanganisi, who was beaten and burned because he was, allegedly, gay.

This is not just a crime – it is an attack on humanity, dignity, and the constitutional values of South Africa.

No child deserves to be hunted, tortured, or murdered for who they are. Hatred has no place in our communities, and violence against LGBTQ+ people must be confronted with the full force of the law. This barbarity reflects a dangerous level of moral decay that we must all stand against.

This was not just a murder; it was a hate crime. The perpetrators must be arrested, prosecuted, and sentenced to the maximum penalty allowed by law. Silence is complicity. Leaders, parents, churches, schools and communities must speak out clearly that homophobia is not culture, it is cruelty.

We owe Ntlanganiso justice. We owe his family healing. And we owe our society a clear message: no one should live in fear because of who they are. We need to address violence against LGBTQ+ youth and ensure accountability for perpetrators.

Enough is enough. | Thulani Dasa Khayelitsha

DAILY NEWS