Readers’Views
Minister’s vow to revive industry beset with contradictions
The article “Revival ‘not built on cheap labour’ ” (August 25) refers. So said industry minister Ebrahim Patel as he ambitiously sets out to revive our textile and footwear industry, suggesting logistics holds the key to providing us with a competitive edge.
To succeed it will be necessary to produce quality items and only automation will help us produce volumes on economies of scale to compete locally and globally.
But contraband goods arriving undetected place our competing industries at a serious disadvantage, so this matter needs to be dealt with by the South African Revenue Service and stopped.
Minister Patel might have to rethink the wage issue if he really believes it possible for us to regain markets here and abroad, because our labour is generally unskilled, too costly (and hostile) measured against productivity.
However, with the history of the incompetent ANC government, which has withered away confidence, reduced our manufacturing capacity and taken us to the brink of a failed state, any recovery will require a changed mindset.
Ted O’Connor, via e-mail
NHI like a holey Swiss cheese
“How NHI will work over time” (August 25) refers. So we may find that, this year, MRI scans are included in NHI, but next year they’re not? Depending on how the economy is doing?
So the idea is that once the minister of finance updates us on the mediumterm outlook, certain elements of coverage may fall away and the private sector will then cover these elements.
So, medical schemes will rebase their risk calculations annually, for an ever-changing coverage basket, and if something drops out of NHI, presumably the medical schemes will step in to cover these things. Because that’s feasible, and won’t cause enough lacunae to pass for Swiss cheese? Right? Very good. We’re in excellent hands.
Johan Prins, on BusinessLIVE
Corruption is killing our country
Corruption in SA has reached all levels of society, and is a consequence of power and greed. The basic inception of corruption started with our political leaders, who have done great damage to our nation. Corruption knows no political party boundaries.
History attests that pervasive corruption if left unchecked will certainly lead to anarchy. As long as there is pervasive corruption, millions of South Africans will be condemned to agonising poverty, and as long as the masses continue to suffer, our democracy will remain fragile.
There are subterranean political tensions in SA today partly as a result of ravaging corruption. We need selfless, competent leaders to totally eradicate corruption. Hopefully the government will carry out its mandate to create a better SA.
Farouk Araie, via e-mail
Stop moves on state pensions
“Peril looms for state pension fund” (August 25) refers. Surely there must be something that can be done by concerned fund members to try to stop this insanity … mass action and the Constitutional Court?
Chris Skinner, on BusinessLIVE