Today's letters to the editor

There is no excuse for hard work

South Africa is home to many bright sparks on the sports field – yet too many lose their way when it comes to academics. I think of someone I know who sacrificed a great deal to reach where he is today.

He left school in the 1980s, taking on many jobs. He wasn’t strong academically, but he excelled in road running and cross-country – sports that demanded discipline and endurance. After marriage and two children, reality struck: no career, no sports – injuries had ended that chapter of his life.

This story is common in many township communities. Talented athletes, once the pride of their schools, grow into adults with no formal education and few opportunities. The pressure to provide for their families often leads to despair and, too often, alcohol abuse. Homes become unstable, children struggle against peer pressure, and love and hope fade in the daily battle for survival.

But this person refused to give up. He went back to school, pushing himself through hard work and study at his own pace. In time, he achieved his dream – and became a respected educator.

His story proves the power of perseverance. My motto: “There is no excuse for hard work. If I can do it, you can do it.” | S Hendricks Cape Town

A second-class marriage for Gaza

AN Indian wedding is a spectacular affair – elaborate, colourful, musical, even spiritual. It’s meant to be grand, expensive, and bursting with joy. The greater the cost, the greater the bond – hopefully. Inshallah! Bhagwan chaha toh!

But let the marriage fail – as many do – and when the divorced bride remarries, the glitter fades. The first-time, starry-eyed kuch-kuch-hota-heh celebration gives way to a muted, modest second attempt. Parents look on with weary resignation. “Let her go… poor thing.” The event ends quietly, with just a few relatives left in the backyard, and “The End” flashes on the screen.

That, I fear, is what the so-called 20-point plan for Gaza resembles. If Hamas accepts this “new arrangement,” all the once-vocal “parents” – Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, the UAE and others – who loudly condemned Israel, threatened sanctions, demanded Fifa bans, and sent flotillas of aid, will nod sadly and move on.

Like resigned in-laws after a failed first marriage, they will accept this third-class union as inevitable. Life, they will say, must go on. The shopping, dropping, and picking up of daily life continues – relentlessly. | Ebrahim Essa Durban

Quiet demographic dilemma

South Africa faces a quiet yet significant demographic shift – fertility has been falling for decades. Once-common large families have given way to smaller households, and the country now risks a population level too low to sustain itself without change.

Falling fertility reflects economic hardship, social transformation and historical legacies. Youth unemployment near 50% makes parenthood seem out of reach. High living costs, scarce childcare and delayed marriages all deter young people from starting families. For many, raising children feels like an impossible financial burden.The past complicates the present. Apartheid-era family-planning policies aimed to restrict growth in certain communities, entrenching smaller families as the norm. That history fuels mistrust of state intervention today – if government once sought to limit births, can it now encourage them without reviving coercion?

Policy choices are difficult. Encouraging fertility through parental leave, tax breaks or childcare subsidies could ease costs but risks high spending and overreach. Adapting to an ageing population – through pension reform, longer working lives and higher productivity – demands equal trade-offs.

Immigration offers only limited relief given political and cultural constraints. Rebuilding “third spaces” – community centres, cafés and libraries – may do more, since parenthood depends as much on social connection as on economics.

A pragmatic response would mix modest public supports with voluntary, local initiatives. Reducing the cost of childcare, promoting flexible work and restoring community life can make parenthood achievable without heavy state control.

South Africa’s demographic challenge is more than statistical – it is moral. A society that values freedom and fairness must also believe in its own future. | Mukundi Budeli University of the Witwatersrand