Letters to the editor, September 25

Joburg shame: rivers run, city thirsts

We are just out of winter and already our rivers are flowing, the dams are overflowing, but the taps in many parts of South Africa’s biggest metropolis have run dry, leaving residents angry and frustrated.

Johannesburg has been plagued by water outages for a long time. How could this be possible in a country with so much water?

Johannesburg councillors are either indifferent to the plight of the residents without water or have no clue how to fix the problem. Much of their working hours is spent in long boring meetings that come to nothing, or just lazing around at their comfortable desks, cutting lucrative deals with their friends.

Parliament has given the Johannesburg municipality two weeks to fix the water shortage. In a dramatic about-turn, President Cyril Ramaphosa lashed out at the ANC councillors for patronage, laziness, arrogance and enriching themselves at the expense of the poor. Surprisingly, he even admitted for the first time, that DA-run municipalities are better than those run by the ANC.

Ramaphosa asked the culprits who are ruining local service deliveries across the country to walk out. But the big question is would they?

We wait to see if it was just the usual Ramaphosa big talk, or if he would put his threat into action and rid the ANC-run municipalities of the cadres. | T Markandan Kloof

Foreign friends, local failures

South Africans are paying the price for a government that has prioritised reckless foreign policy over domestic stability.

Much like the state capture of the Gupta and Bosasa years, Iran has now managed to entrench itself within South Africa’s foreign policy, bending Pretoria’s stance to its will. Instead of protecting citizens’ interests, the ANC has pursued alliances with authoritarian states such as Iran, Russia, and China, alienating key trade partners like the US.

The consequences are stark. The threat of losing Agoa access endangers industries like agriculture, wine, and automotive manufacturing, placing up to 100 000 jobs at risk. At home, service delivery failures (two-week water outages in Johannesburg, escalating gang violence in Cape Town, and a looming R54 billion Eskom blunder) highlight the government’s neglect of basic needs. Youth unemployment sits above 60%, while debt and electricity tariffs spiral.

Meanwhile, South Africa has entangled itself in Middle Eastern politics, which costs local taxpayers millions. This foreign adventurism does little to address the urgent realities of empty taps, unsafe streets, and rising household costs at home.

True national interest lies in creating jobs, fixing infrastructure, and restoring global credibility. South Africans deserve leadership that prioritises growth and safety over ideological friendships abroad. | Daniel Jacobi Friends of Israel

Hajj not a business – it is a sacred duty

The recent reduction in South Africa’s Hajj quota is a serious concern. While the Saudi Ministry of Hajj allocates quotas based on official Muslim population data, this narrow formula fails to reflect South Africa’s true demographic realities.

The current quota does not consider immigration trends or the natural growth of the Muslim population. As a result, outdated census data may have led to an underestimation of South African Muslims, denying many their chance to fulfil a once-in-a-lifetime religious obligation.

Hajj is not a business, it must be treated as a public good, a sacred commitment and duty that many spend years saving and preparing for. Reducing access through rigid, dated formulas diminishes the sanctity and inclusiveness of this vital pillar of Islam.I urge the Muslim community and relevant authorities to respectfully engage the Saudi Embass to review the quota by using updated information and calculations so a fair quota can be allocated to South Africa.

I also appeal to those who have already performed Hajj to give priority to first-time pilgrims, especially the elderly and those from disadvantaged backgrounds

.Moreover, religious leaders are humbly requested to guide the community with wisdom, ensuring that access to Hajj is equitable and just.

Let us act with unity, integrity, and sincerity to secure fair Hajj access for all South African Muslims. | MOHAMED SAEED Pietermaritzburg

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