We must never forget what happened at Throb nightclub

Here's some of the letters sent to the editor of the Daily News

Throb incident must never be forgotten

After 25 years, the Youth Development Trust, which provided bursaries in memory of the 13 children killed in the Throb Nightclub incident in Chatsworth, on March 24, 2000, has dissolved – marking the end of an era.

The trust’s work supporting families left a lasting legacy. Heartfelt thanks to the trustees, whose tireless efforts provided vital support and kept the memory of these young lives alive.

A lasting tribute, such as a statue or memorial, could honour the children and their impact on the community. MPs Narendh Singh and Les Govender’s dedication is also commendable.

To the families who lost loved ones, may memories of your children bring strength and comfort. The trust’s legacy will continue to inspire, reminding us all of the resilience of the community and the lives we must never forget. | Dhayalan Moodley Mobeni Heights

Juju is spot on, but he could go further

It is not often that I agree with Julius Malema but his call for a ban on all alcohol advertising is welcome.

He should include “betting” in his plea. Odds are always against the person believing he/she is going to hit the jackpot.

To quote Meghan Blackford, a social media consultant: “Gambling addiction can spiral out of control and lead to serious consequences, including gambling-related suicides”. | Chris Richards Craighall

A woman president, but only the capable

The answer to the question posed in the banner line of the Daily News’ sister newspaper, The Star, of August 26, read: “Is SA Ready for a Woman President?” To that the answer must be a resounding “Yes!”

However, the gallery of eligible women presented by the newspaper, and seconded by political analyst Kenneth Mokgatlhe, begs the question: Are only black women qualified to run the country?

Perhaps Mokgatlhe has not heard of Barbara Creecy, a current MP, or Shameen-Thakur Rajbansi, the leader of the Minority Front, or Judith February, formerly of IDASA and currently Executive Officer at Freedom Under Law.

Meta AI could not furnish me with February’s birthdate, but I’m sure she, like Creecy and Rajbansi, must be under 70 years of age and eminently qualified, as a member of a marginalized population group, to lead the country.

If I were to pick someone from The Star’s gallery of seven, my choice would be Lindiwe Mazibuko, although I have no idea why she was seated next to Deputy-President Paul Mashatile at the national convention held at Unisa recently. She must avoid such company.

As for Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, what can I say?

Apart from being inarticulate and a most uninspiring woman, she is the one, who in concert with Cyril Ramaphosa, cruelly denied drinkers and smokers their daily pleasure during Covid. Whilst our friends in other countries were not deprived of their daily tipple and fags during Covid, we had to resort to contraband to get access to liquor and cigarettes on the blackmarket. My bottle of Scotch, costing me an arm and a leg, was smuggled from a neighbouring country because I noticed the alcohol content was one per cent higher than ours.

This trade in contraband liquor and cigarettes was wittingly or unwittingly encouraged by Dlamini-Zuma. If the argument was that the ban on alcohol reduced the number of casualties our hospitals had to deal with, what about cigarettes?

I’m not a smoker, but Dlamini-Zuma’s vendetta against smokers is well known. Covid simply revealed her mean, vindictive streak.

No Mr Mokgatlhe, Dlamini-Zuma must not come within a hundred-mile radius of the candidacy for a woman President! And as I’ve said, black women are not the only ones fit to rule South Africa. | Harry Sewlall Sandton

Freedom of expression at risk

London’s Speakers’ Corner is silent. The iconic voices of Dickens, Newton, and others seem to mourn the death of free speech under “reverse repression.”

Across the Channel, a South African children’s book, From the River to the Sea, illustrated by Nathi Ncubane, has sparked protests in Paris, with bookshops attacked simply for carrying it.

The land of Sartre, Voltaire, and Les Misérables – once a beacon of liberty, equality, and social justice – is now witnessing violent censorship.

Freedom of expression is not optional. Literature, history, and debate exist to challenge, provoke, and inspire. Silencing them threatens democracy. | Ebrahim Essa Durban

Uk trade hypocrisy with Zimbabwe

The reset of relations between Zimbabwe and the UK after nearly 30 years of fractured ties is a stark reminder of “perfidious Albion.”

In the 1960s and 1970s, the UK backed international sanctions and defended insurgent violence in Rhodesia, all to impose immediate black majority rule. In the 1980s, during Mugabe’s Gukurahundi massacres of up to 40 000 Ndebele, Britain remained silent. Later, when white farmers were dispossessed under Mugabe, Britain again looked the other way.

Now, with high-tech minerals in demand, the UK seeks Zimbabwe’s lithium. The Mnangagwa regime celebrates, while a Zimbabwean minister openly vows to use these resources to serve the ruling elite – not the people.

If Britain had any moral compass, trade deals should come with strict conditions: an end to human rights violations, suppression of democracy, and abuses by the Mnangagwa regime. | DR DUNCAN DU BOIS Bluff

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