Letter: Time for tea!

Osborne Gwamanda of Mandeni writes:

Considering what has transpired over the past few weeks since my response to Mr Ian Coates’ letter “What next for Siza?” (Courier, March 12), perhaps it is a good thing that I have reserved my response to Mr Coates’ invitation for a meeting over a cup of tea, maybe, until now. Isn’t that what seems to be trending these days, tea meetings?

Until Tony Kruger’s response (We are worlds apart, Courier April 2) I had no intention of responding to Mr Coates’ “blinded by mischief” letter because to me it really made no sense.

But after reading Mr Kruger’s take on the matter, I was tempted to accept Mr Coates’ invitation to a meeting with himself or Messrs Trevor Thompson and Feisal Dawood.

Then yesterday, after reading the Two Bits column by Bruce Stephenson in the April 9 edition and going through his take on the recent exchange of letters, I have decided to accept Mr Coates’ invitation to a meeting with him and his people.

May I request that the meeting be chaired by Mr Tony Kruger – he seems to have some objectivity about him.

Mr Bruce Stephenson can oversee this “historic” meeting so that he can pen a column in the next edition of the Courier (by the way, I look forward to reading your well-articulated pieces in the Courier, Mr Stephenson!).

I am looking forward to our meeting gentlemen, and no, I will not come in a taxi full of back-up supporters from nearby townships (I know my last sentence will be cut out ).

END OF LETTER

I am delighted that you would like to meet Mr Coates over a cuppa.

However I do not think it would be right to involve either Mr Kruger or myself – it might take on the air of a Codesa!

I will pass on your contact details to Ian and you both can decide on a time and venue.

I think it would be right for you two to meet and hopefully come to a meeting of minds, and you can drop me a line after for publication.

The purpose of the Letters column is a forum for exchange of ideas (and thank you for your kind words) – BS.